Players Championship: Ludvig Aberg leads, Rory McIlroy & Scottie Scheffler toil at Sawgrass
There were many fewer dramas for Aberg and McIlroy’s playing partner Schauffele.
Aberg, who lives locally and has Sawgrass as his home course, had an eagle and three birdies in his opening four holes to leap up the leaderboard and a second chip-in eagle, on the par-five ninth, saw him complete the front nine in 29 shots.
A fluffed wedge shot from the rough cost him his first bogey of the tournament on the 15th, but he responded with birdies on the long 16th and tricky 18th to close out a sensational round.
“I’ve seen the golf course in probably every wind possible, which I know this week we’re going to have some different winds,” said the 26-year-old, who added that he had not played the course before this week this year.
“Is there an advantage to it? Maybe. But you still have to hit the shots.
“I love the course because it’s right in front of you. It’s very straightforward, but you still have to do it.”
Two-time major winner Schauffele was equally impressive, hitting every fairway in a terrific display of ball-striking as he posted eight birdies and one bogey.
“I was attacking the golf course versus playing defensive,” said the American, who has twice finished runner-up at this tournament.
“It’s always easy to be aggressive from the fairway and take advantage of the greens being just a hair softer. But I think they’re slowly firming up.”
Schauffele’s fellow American Cameron Young is on nine under after a 67.
Canadian Corey Conners holed a 102-yard wedge for an eagle three on the ninth, as he also carded a 67 that lifted him to eight under.
Conners was joined on that number late on by 2021 Players champion Justin Thomas, who birdied the last for a second round of 68.
His good friend Jordan Spieth also made a positive move up the leaderboard with a run of five successive birdies midway through his round.
But he said his finish “stinks” after posting a double-bogey for the second day running. He called golf a “weird game” after signing for a 68 that left him at three under.
Finally, spare a thought for Tom Hoge – the joint course record holder after shooting a 62 in 2023 – who hacked his way down the par-four seventh in the manner of a high-handicap club golfer as he slipped from one under to four over.
The American hit his tee shot into the water, topped his third shot, shanked the next, thrashed around in the rough, splashed out of a bunker and missed a five-foot putt as he registered a quintuple-bogey nine.
