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Rory McIlroy looked assured of scoring a points victory over newest rival Jordan Spieth on the second day of the lucrative Players Championship at Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida.
McIlroy headed into the back nine on the TPC Sawgrass course remaining at his round two starting score of three under par while the World No. 2 ranked Spieth stayed at three over also heading to his inward half.
McIlroy struggled early on with five opening pars before having to play a shot off a bitumen cart path right at the sixth in taking bogey before landing a super 76-yard wedge shot to just two feet for birdie at the ninth.
But while McIlroy was fighting hard to keep sight of clubhouse leading American Kevin Na, who shot a 69 to move two strokes clear at eight under par, former double winning Players champion Tiger Woods left a volunteer with a deep bruise on his leg.
Woods again had his caddy working over-time and calling distances from parts of the course not on the yardage book in posting a one under par 71 to move to back to even par for the $US 10m event.
The 14-time Major winning Woods hit the middle-aged volunteer with a wild drive down the right side of the 11th hole or the second of his round but in the process of hitting the volunteer it stopped the ball going deep into trees, and with Woods remarkably grabbing the first of six birdies but also posting in his round five bogeys.
Woods last regular PGA Tour win won on the Ponte Vedra Beach course two years ago and he’s not ruled winning again this week.
“My expectations at the start of the week remain still the same and I feel like I am playing well enough to get myself up there, but then anyone who makes the cut this week has a chance of winning,” said Woods.
“But I am just not capitalising on my opportunities and I need to start doing that over the weekend.
“I feel my golf is finally at a point where I can play tournament golf on a consistent basis but then I have worked my butt off to change it, and I’m pretty proud of that, to be able to show up at Augusta and do what I did, and now I’ve just got to keep building from there.”
Graeme McDowell signed for a second round 70 and a share of 46th place.
Padraig Harrington ended his two days on the cutline and his round of 73 on Friday just enough to ensure a weekend stay in Ponte Vedra. Good news for the Dubliner who is chasing a top-10 so he can qualify for next month’s US Open.
Shane Lowry missed the cut and will return home with just a pair of commemorative 2015 Players cuff-links, and his gift as a Players first-timer, having slipped to four over par after a second round 74.
Spaniard Sergio Garcia posted 32 putts in his round of 72 to remain at three under par but then as he headed to the clubhouse was heard to remark: “Is there a garbage bin around here?”
Garcia then snapped his putter over his knee and binned the club with three spectators sharing the broken putter and its head cover.
Five-time Major winning Phil Mickelson was a certain Sawgrass casualty posting scores of 73 and 76 to easily miss the cut with a shock five over par total.
Mickelson won the Players in 2007 but with his second round a mix of just three birdies but also two bogeys, a double bogey and a ninth hole triple bogey after his sprayed his second shot deep into the water guarding the green.
“It’s a tough course and I was thinking to myself as I was walking around today, I can’t believe I’ve actually won here,” he said smiling.
Dustin Johnson has not yet ruled out contesting the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open later his month at Royal County Down.
Johnson was a member of the 2007 winning USA Walker Cup team on the course laid out in the shadow of the Mourne Mountains. And after seeing a 63-yard wedge lip-out for eagle at the last in a second straight round of 72 the big-hitting American confirmed he is still in dialogue with McIlroy and joining winning Walker Cup team-mate Rickie Fowler.
“I’m still not sure if I will play the Irish Open and it’s still up in the air, and as much as I would like to return to Royal County Down, I’m still balancing my schedule over here,” said Johnson.
“I would very much like to go and I have been talking to Rory about it.”
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