A scorching hot putter is turning the Players Championship into the Wyndham Clark show through 36 holes at TPC Sawgrass.
The 2023 U.S. Open winner was lights out on the greens once again, making eight birdies against one bogey for his second straight 7-under 65. That was enough to see the first-round co-leader take a commanding four-shot edge over Xander Schauffele and Nick Taylor.
Matthew Fitzpatrick and Maverick McNealy are the only other players within five shots of the lead at 9-under, while World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is lurking six shots back. First-round co-leader Rory McIlroy struggled to a one-over 73 and sits eight shots off the mark.
| Place | Player | Round 2 score | Total to par |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyndham Clark | 65 | -14 |
| T-2 | Xander Schauffele | 69 | -10 |
| T-2 | Nick Taylor | 68 | -10 |
| T-4 | Matthew Fitzpatrick | 69 | -9 |
| T-4 | Maverick McNealy | 68 | -9 |
| T-6 | Scottie Scheffler | 69 | -8 |
| T-6 | Matti Schmid | 68 | -8 |
| T-6 | Corey Conners | 68 | -8 |
| T-6 | Tom Hoge | 69 | -8 |
| T-10 | J.T. Poston | 68 | -7 |
| T-10 | Sahith Theegala | 67 | -7 |
| T-10 | Brian Harman | 65 | -7 |
| T-10 | C.T. Pan | 68 | -7 |
Clark displayed strong all-around game throughout the day, but his putter stole the show for the second day in a row. He gained over three strokes on the green for the second consecutive round and now sits first in that category for the week at almost eight total.
The 30-year-old's lead through two rounds is the latest step in a meteoric rise over the past 12 months. He came to last year's Players Championship as the 116th-ranked player in the world. Should he see things through for the victory, he will rise to No. 3. History suggests he's in great shape to do just that given his standing at this point.
Best 36-hole scores at TPC Sawgrass:
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) March 15, 2024
2016 Jason Day, -15 (Won)
2018 Webb Simpson, -15 (Won)
1994 Greg Norman, -14 (Won)
2024 Wyndham Clark, -14
The closest chasers come in the form of Schauffele and Taylor, who both battled firmer conditions in the afternoon wave on Friday.
Schauffele is one of the steadiest players on TOUR. He's often in contention but is without a win since July 2022. His made cut at TPC Sawgrass extended his streak to 40 in a row - by far the longest active streak on the PGA TOUR. An eagle on No. 16 was enough to get him to second and keep Clark within distance.
Taylor was in one of the final groups of the day and finished with two birdies in his final four holes. While Taylor doesn't hold the same resume as Schauffele, his recent flair for the dramatic - epic playoff wins in Canada last year and Phoenix in February - will certainly have Clark's attention on the weekend.
Scheffler battled neck issues throughout his entire round to post a 3-under 69 and make it 25 straight rounds under par dating back to last August. The defending champion received treatment from a physio throughout the round and will surely undergo further work overnight in Florida.
The most disappointing round of the day belongs to McIlroy, who rode a roller coaster with five birdies, four bogeys, and a double. The 2019 champion has made 15 birdies through two rounds to sit second in the field but is dead last in pars with only 14.
