Rory McIlroy is 2 off the midway lead regardless of a disappointing end to his second spherical at The Gamers, as Justin Thomas charged again into competition with a historic comeback.
McIlroy produced a much-improved show off the tee and briefly topped the leaderboard after six birdies in his first 11 holes, solely to bogey two of his final 4 holes and shut a second-round 68.
The world No 2 heads into the weekend on 9 below and in contact with Min Woo Lee and Akshay Bhatia, who carded 66s to steer on 11 below forward of JJ Spaun, with McIlroy sitting tied-fourth alongside Collin Morikawa and Alex Smalley.
Tommy Fleetwood is inside 4 of the lead after as six-under 66 and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler is six again as he chases a historic three-peat on the occasion, whereas Thomas bounced again from his opening-round 78 with a shocking 10-under 62.
Thomas was eight over after 13 holes on day one however is now simply seven off the lead after carding 11 birdies – a event report – in his second spherical, the place he equalled the course report regardless of bogeying his last gap of the day.
McIlroy in competition regardless of late bogeys
McIlroy chipped in from off the tenth inexperienced, his opening gap of the day, then responded to lacking a five-foot probability on the par-five subsequent by birdieing three of his subsequent 5 holes and including one other on the par-four 18th.
He reached the flip in 31 and briefly led after profiting from the par-five second, lifting him six below for the day, earlier than failing to stand up and down from the sand on the par-four sixth and bogeying the par-five ninth after a wayward method shot.
Rory McIlroy performed alongside Scottie Scheffler, who carded a second-round 70
“Much better,” McIlroy mentioned when requested to evaluate his swing, having discovered solely 4 fairways in his opening-round 67. “Hit it much better off the tee. I think I hit more fairways in six holes today than I did in 18 yesterday.
“Yeah, bought it in play significantly better after which from there was capable of give myself some alternatives and clearly make some birdies early. Could not fairly proceed that on to the again 9, however it was significantly better off the tee.”
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Rory McIlroy chipped in for birdie on the par-four tenth to make a dream begin to his second spherical
Lee set the clubhouse goal after six birdies within the house of 9 holes throughout his spherical, with the Australian’s solely dropped shot coming on the par-five ninth, whereas Bhatia carded eight birdies and two bogeys to additionally submit 66 and get to 11 below.
Thomas produces historic comeback
Thomas, the 2021 champion, carded a exceptional 16-shot enchancment on his opening spherical, the place he wanted a birdie-birdie end simply to submit 78, with the previous world No 1 beginning his epic fightback with back-to-back birdies.
Thomas added three extra in a front-nine 31 and posted 4 consecutive birdies from the eleventh to go 9 below for the day, earlier than choosing up a shot on the par-five sixteenth and draining a 20-footer on the iconic seventeenth.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Watch all 11 birdies from Justin Thomas’ report breaking spherical, as he tied the course report after capturing 62 through the second spherical of The Gamers
A par on the final would have been sufficient for Thomas to interrupt the outright course report, just for him to equal Tom Hoge’s whole in 2023 after dragging his method into the water and carding a closing bogey.
Smalley is the best-placed of the early-late half of the draw, with rounds of 68 and 67 taking him to 9 below, with Morikawa – final week’s runner-up on the Arnold Palmer Invitational – additionally inside two of the lead after a second-round 65.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Collin Morikawa posted a powerful seven-under 65 throughout spherical two, together with a close to ace on the iconic TPC Sawgrass seventeenth and two chip-in birdies
Two-time main winner Xander Schauffele, enjoying alongside Scheffler and McIlroy, birdied the ninth – his last gap of the day – to complete on one below and lengthen his streak of made cuts to 59, the longest since Tiger Woods’ run of 142 from 1998-2005.
Shane Lowry additionally made it by means of on the reduce mark of 1 below, whereas Justin Rose, Hideki Matsuyama, Ludvig Åberg and Viktor Hovland have been among the many high-profile names to fail to make it by means of to the weekend.
Who will win The Gamers? Watch all through the weekend dwell on Sky Sports activities? Protection continues on Saturday from 1pm on Sky Sports activities Golf, with 10 further feeds – together with Featured Holes, Featured Teams and bonus protection – on Sky Sports activities+. Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract on NOW.
Get one of the best costs and guide a spherical at one in every of 1,700 programs throughout the UK & Eire
