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Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. • As conditions toughened, Louis Oosthuizen and Kyle Stanley played even better. Each posted a 6-under 66 to share the lead at The Players Championship, making it even more difficult for the top two players in the world to catch them.
Oosthuizen and his sweet swing were a good fit in any conditions at the TPC Sawgrass, and he managed to play bogey-free and finish with a birdie on the par-5 ninth. Stanley had eight birdies as the wind increased and the firm putting surfaces became crusty.
They were at 9-under 135, two shots ahead of J.B. Holmes, who fell out of a tie with bogeys on his last two holes for a 69.
Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy scrapped it around Friday morning, Johnson making only one birdie for a 73 and McIlroy managing through nagging back pain for a 71. They were at even par and not too bothered. They were only five behind when they finished, and they could sense that because of steamy weather and swaying pines that nobody was going to get too far away from him.
"I definitely feel like I got the most that I could have out of that round," Stanley said. "A couple bogeys, but you can expect that to happen around here with as difficult as the golf course is."
Johnson and McIlroy at least are still in the game.
Jordan Spieth was headed home after missing the cut for the third straight year, yet he didn't sound terribly upset. He chalked that up to not being able to handle this strand of grass when it gets firm and crusty. Spieth's last hope ended with a tee shot that bounced at the back of the island-green 17th and into the water.
Equally surprising was Vijay Singh, the 54-year-old Fijian who was making putts from everywhere until a three-putt bogey on the 18th. He still shot 68 and goes into the weekend only three shots out of the lead.
The cut was at 2-over 146, and there will be another cut Saturday because more than 78 players advanced to the weekend. That's when the tournament will finally start to take shape, and while Oosthuizen and Stanley stood out with the best scores of the second round, both know it can change quickly.
"We're in a pretty good spot going into this weekend," said Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion who still hasn't won in America. "A lot of golf to be played around this golf course, and as we've seen the last two days, you can easily make a mistake around this track."
Yes, there were plenty of those.
Anirban hit three shots into the water and made a 10 on the par-4 18th hole. Zac Blair hit three shots into the water on the par-3 17th and made a 9.
Phil Mickelson started making putts and moved up the leaderboard, only to begin a slow slide. He made three bogeys on the back nine and then, torn between a 9-iron and a wedge on the 17th, he opted for a wedge to make sure it didn't go over the back of the island. It still hopped hard at the back of the green and went into the water, leading to a double bogey.
That left him at 72, seven shots behind.
Defending champion Jason Day didn't make up any ground, either, trading birdies and bogeys for a 72. He also was seven back at 2-under 142. Rickie Fowler shot 74 and joined Johnson and McIlroy at 144. —
Friday's scores
PGA – Players Championship
At TPC Sawgrass, Players Stadium Course
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Purse: $10.5 million
Yardage: 7,189; Par: 72 (36-36)
Second round
Louis Oosthuizen 69-66 — 135 -9
Kyle Stanley 69-66 — 135 -9
J.B. Holmes 68-69 — 137 -7
Vijay Singh 70-68 — 138 -6
David Hearn 70-69 — 139 -5
Rafa Cabrera Bello 69-70 — 139 -5
Patrick Cantlay 69-70 — 139 -5
Alex Noren 68-71 — 139 -5
Ian Poulter 72-67 — 139 -5
Chez Reavie 68-72 — 140 -4
Jon Rahm 68-72 — 140 -4
Webb Simpson 71-69 — 140 -4
Lucas Glover 70-70 — 140 -4
Brendan Steele 69-71 — 140 -4
Paul Casey 71-69 — 140 -4
Ben Martin 71-70 — 141 -3
Smylie Kaufman 74-67 — 141 -3
Si Woo Kim 69-72 — 141 -3
Daniel Berger 69-72 — 141 -3
Harold Varner III 71-70 — 141 -3
Cameron Tringale 70-71 — 141 -3
Tommy Fleetwood 74-67 — 141 -3
Seung-Yul Noh 73-69 — 142 -2
Roberto Castro 71-71 — 142 -2
Adam Scott 70-72 — 142 -2
Steve Stricker 72-70 — 142 -2
Mackenzie Hughes 67-75 — 142 -2
Daniel Summerhays 69-73 — 142 -2
Henrik Stenson 72-70 — 142 -2
Jason Day 70-72 — 142 -2
Phil Mickelson 70-72 — 142 -2
William McGirt 67-75 — 142 -2
Yuta Ikeda 73-69 — 142 -2
Billy Hurley III 71-72 — 143 -1
Brooks Koepka 74-69 — 143 -1
Russell Henley 75-68 — 143 -1
Francesco Molinari 69-74 — 143 -1
Aaron Baddeley 70-73 — 143 -1
Hideki Matsuyama 72-71 — 143 -1
Graeme McDowell 71-72 — 143 -1
Emiliano Grillo 72-71 — 143 -1
Adam Hadwin 71-72 — 143 -1
Kevin Chappell 72-72 — 144 E
Martin Kaymer 72-72 — 144 E
Sergio Garcia 73-71 — 144 E
Matt Kuchar 73-71 — 144 E
Dustin Johnson 71-73 — 144 E
Justin Thomas 73-71 — 144 E
Rory McIlroy 73-71 — 144 E
Jason Dufner 73-71 — 144 E
Ricky Barnes 70-74 — 144 E
David Lingmerth 69-75 — 144 E
Keegan Bradley 75-69 — 144 E
Rickie Fowler 70-74 — 144 E
Cody Gribble 69-75 — 144 E
Lee Westwood 70-75 — 145 +1
Ryan Moore 73-72 — 145 +1
Patrick Reed 72-73 — 145 +1
Justin Rose 74-71 — 145 +1
Alex Cejka 75-70 — 145 +1
Jamie Lovemark 75-70 — 145 +1
Kevin Streelman 72-73 — 145 +1
Jimmy Walker 71-74 — 145 +1
Zach Johnson 72-73 — 145 +1
Gary Woodland 70-75 — 145 +1
Also (failed to make cut)
Tony Finau 73-74 — 147 +3
Zac Blair 76-80 — 156 +12