PLAYERS Championship, Round 2
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By PGATOUR.COM Staff
WRAPPING UP ROUND 2 (7:40 p.m.): Alex Cejka and Ian Poulter will play in tomorrow's final pairing and there will certainly be a level of comfort and familiarity for both players as they know each other well.
That will be key for each player, even though Poulter, for example, has played well here in the past with three finishes in the top 30 in five events here. He's also been playing his best golf in the states this year with only one finish outside the top 20. At Quail Hollow, Poulter finished T5.
Cejka, meanwhile, is playing through pain, having battled a neck injury that's led to a spate of other injuries, including a pinched nerve and total numbness in his right arm.
Then there are the groups behind them. Six players are tied for third at 7 under, including Masters champ Angel Cabrera and Sleeper Pick Jason Dufner. This tournament has a history of being wide open and going into the weekend it looks like this year won't be any different. -- Brian Wacker
CUT DAY (7 p.m.): The cut came at even par and included 83 players. That means there will be a 54-hole cut on Saturday to the number closest to 70.
Among the players missing the cut at THE PLAYERS are two-time champs Davis Love III, Fred Couples and Steve Elkington, as well as 2004 champ Adam Scott. Paul Goydos, who lost in a playoff to Sergio Garcia last year, also is making an early exit.
Other notables who won't play the weekend include 2007 Masters champ Trevor Immelman and Todd Hamilton, who won the 2004 British Open. Sean O'Hair and Lucas Glover, who finished 1-T2 last week, also missed the cut, as did Buick Invitational champ Nick Watney and Jerry Kelly, who won in New Orleans two weeks ago.
Irish phenom Rory McIlroy can celebrate his 20th birthday on Sunday at home now after finding the real TPC Sawgrass more challenging than the video version.
Anthony Kim, a two-time winner in 2008, also made an early exit after shooting 82 that included two bogeys on the back nine on the way to a 44. It marked the third time Kim had shot in the 80s as a pro -- and two of those have now come at the Stadium.
Kim shot an 83 in the second round of the 2007 PLAYERS. Later that year he shot 80 in the third round of the U.S. Open. -- Helen Ross
TIGER IN THE MIX, SORT OF (6:20 p.m.): It wasn't pretty at times -- three bogeys -- and at times it was -- six birdies, including four in a six-hole stretch on the back nine. Tiger Woods didn't shoot up the leaderboard, but he didn't shoot himself out of the tournament either. Woods shot a 69 and will head to the weekend 4 under, seven shots off the lead.
"Just kind of plodded my way along today," Woods said. "I golt myself back in the ballgame."
That he did, taking five less putts than yesterday. But he also missed a 10-footer for birdie on the 18th, which would have moved him ahead of five other players.
"This course doesn't take much," Woods said. "You have a couple of lies that are just a little awkward and next thing you know, you can make some bogeys quickly. It doesn't mean that you hit bad shots.
"You can get a wind gust that changes. You can hit a good shot, in a bad spot, wrong side of the slopes."
Woods has done just that through two rounds -- he hit only 7 of 14 fairways and 11 of 18 greens in regulation today. He may not have totally shot himself out of it, but it's probably going to take something pretty special to challenge the lead. In 46 rounds here he's only broken 70 nine times with a career-best of 66. -- Brian Wacker
CUT CHECK (6:00 p.m.): The second round is winding down here at TPC Sawgrass and the cut line hasn't moved all day. It's still at even par and that means some notable players will be going home early.
Adam Scott, the 2004 champion here, is in at 1 over through two rounds, meaning he'll miss his fifth straight cut, a first in his career. Scott is undergoing some swing changes and it's simply going to take time to take hold.
Jerry Kelly, the winner in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago, is also headed home after rounds of 73-72. Davis Love III, Charles Howell III and Nick Watney also look like they won't make it as they wrap up their rounds. -- Brian Wacker
TIGER ROLLING (5:35 p.m.): After flirting with the cut line much of the front nine, Tiger Woods has really gotten untracked on the back.
He just rolled in a 13-footer for birdie on the 15th hole -- his fifth in his last seven holes. Woods is still seven shots out of the lead held by Alex Cejka, but he's certainly making his presence known again.
Woods actually was 1 over through eight holes when his putter began to cooperate and the surge began. He rolled in a 5-footer at the par-5 ninth for the first birdie, then added 15-footer at the 10th before getting up and down from the left side of the green at the 558-yard 11th for his third straight.
The bogey at No. 12, where he hit it into the back bunker, was just a momentary blip. He rolled in a 23-footer at No. 14, the 13-footer at the 15th and he's now playing the par-5 16th.
You can follow his round here on Shot Tracker. -- Helen Ross
KLAUK'S UP-AND-DOWN DAY (5:10 p.m.): Jeff Klauk had a Jekyll-Hyde kind of day on the Stadium Course that he once called home on Friday. Klauk's father, Fred, was the long-time course superintendent who retired after last year's tournament.
Four birdies on the front nine had the PGA TOUR rookie climbing the leaderboard during the second round. When Klauk made the turn in 32 he was 5 under for the tournament.
Klauk got on the bogey train on the back nine, though, starting at the 13th hole where he missed a 13-inch putt for par -- bogeying four of his next five holes. He also three-putted No. 17 and couldn't get up and down after missing the greens at the 14th and 15th.
"I hit it really well on the front," Klauk admitted. "I've been moving on my putts a lot for the last few weeks. And when I missed the ... the short one, then I started noticing it even more, and kind of got timid over it.
"Something I need to correct and be ready to go tomorrow.
Klauk finished with a 40 on the back. His even par 70 left him 1 under for the tournament but it looks like he'll be playing the weekend in his PLAYERS debut.
Ironically, for the week, he's 5 over on the back nine, which is his favorite, and 6 under on the front.
"I'm not real thrilled," Klauk said. "But I've got to look at the big picture, too. It's the first time here, we're on my home course. Dad being the superintendent. I'll learn from it and just get better." -- Helen Ross
Below is a look at Klauk's scorecard from today:
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KIM'S CRASH LANDING (4:45 p.m.): How bad were things for Anthony Kim this week? Considering there was all of one image of him playing through the first two rounds of THE PLAYERS Championship from wire photo service Getty Images, pretty bad. Kim always draws lots of attention, but he had a quick week here. After an opening round 73, Kim struggled to an eye-popping 82 in which he had seven bogeys, two double bogeys and just two birdies. His back nine? An eye-popping 44. -- Brian Wacker
SEX AND THE 17TH (4:30 p.m.): The island hole at the 17th offers many things that make players stand and pause. But two birds mating? Certainly that caught Vijay Singh's attention as he prepared to attempt his birdie putt Friday afternoon.
Just as Singh was lining up his putt near the edge of the green, two birds in the lake nearby started ... well, let's just say they were attempting to reproduce. Singh and his caddie heard the commotion, turned around and, along with the rest of the nearby fans, waited with amused patience as the birds splashed about and completed their act.
Once it was over -- and after a round of applause from the fans and a big smile on Singh's face -- the defending FedExCup champion got back to the job at hand. Alas, he lipped out his birdie putt. -- Mike McAllister
MORE FROM MICKELSON (4:10 p.m.): It appears as though Phil Mickelson will make the cut. But it was close. The 2007 PLAYERS champ had to birdie the ninth hole -- his final hole -- to have a chance and did just that when he whapped a 3-wood onto the green, lagged his 52-foot eagle putt to 3 feet and popped that in for a 71 and a two-day total of even par.
"Yeah, I knew I had to make four to have a chance,'' Mickelson said. "It was an uphill into the grain putt, I could be aggressive. I wasn't worried about racing it by. I felt confident that I was going to be able to get it close. But I knew I needed to get it down in two to have a chance for the weekend.''
Mickelson, who opened with a 73 that included a ball in the water at 16, struggled on the greens Friday.
" I hit the ball really well today. I hit a lot of fairways, I hit a lot of greens and didn't make squat,'' he said. "I had three birdies today and they were all two putts. The course played very fair. It's amazing how quick the greens are, because they look healthy. They're not burnt out and dried up like kind of last week was.
"They are in perfect shape and the ball is just very quick. And I had trouble getting the speed. My speed was off all day.''
Mickelson last missed the cut at the Shell Houston Open. The remaining five events of this six-tournament stretch -- two wins (Northern Trust Open, World Golf Championships-CA Championship), two fifths (Masters and Quail Hollow Championship) and a T-9 at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.
So, no, he never figured he'd come close to saying a quick goodbye here at a course he likes (especially with the recent changes).
"I'm not frustrated yet,'' he said. "I feel like I'm playing well. I'm hitting a lot of good shots. I'm taking advantage of the par 5s. And I'm going to go out tomorrow and see if I can shoot a low round. You just never know in this format, you really don't. It's a tough golf course, the greens are very difficult. If I can shoot a low round, I'm not giving up at all." -- Melanie Hauser
TIGER UPDATE (3:40 p.m.): Tiger Woods is a little more than halfway through his second round here and, so far, he hasn't been able to make up much ground on the lead. Woods has three birdies through his first 10 holes, including on each of his last two, but he also made two early bogeys.
The most exciting part of Woods' round came on the ninth, where he made birdie despite hitting a spectator on his second shot. Woods caught a flier on his approach shot from the fairway and hit a man right of the fairway. The ball bounced off the fan and into a deep downhill lie. Woods walked up, gave the fan a signed glove and proceeded to 6 feet before making the birdie.
The Jacksonville man, though a little bruised, was treated by medics before saying he would spend the rest of the day at the course watching the remaining golf. -- Brian Wacker
DUFNER GETTING IT DONE (3:00 p.m.): A week ago, Jason Dufner had his best-ever finish on the PGA TOUR with a T5 at the Quail Hollow Championship, where he was in contention before finding the water on the 17th on Sunday.
As bittersweet an ending as that was for Dufner, it hardly left him disappointed and if there were any negative feelings lingering, they were washed away when Brandt Snedeker withdrew from the field and Dufner got in as the first alternate.
So far, Dufner, who has three top 10s this year, including two each of the past two weeks, has kept the good momentum going, playing his first 36 holes here in 7 under to get into the top 10.
"I wasn't down after last week," said the 32-year-old Dufner, who is making his competitive debut at TPC Sawgrass this week after playing between 50-60 casual rounds on the Stadium. "It was probably asking a lot from me to go out and win that tournament right now. But I think I'm better for it and some of that will carry over to this week."
Dufner really made his presence known last week at Quail Hollow. He opened with a 67 and had gotten to 7 under entering the final round after consecutive 71s. The Auburn product really made his move on Sunday, though, and he was in the mix at 10 under after birdies at Nos. 14 and 15.
He's always been able to hit the ball -- he ranks 38th in driving accuracy and 22nd in greens in regulation coming into this week -- but he's also hit the gym hard the last two years and that's freed him up some.
"A lot of stretching, a lot of mobilization," Dufner said. "I know when I started I wasn't feeling too good physically so I think it's been a big help for me to kind of get me to the next level." -- Brian Wacker and Helen Ross
MORNING RECAP FROM ROUND 2 (2:30 p.m.): Here are the meat and potatoes from the early rounds at TPC Sawgrass.
Alex Cejka: The 38-year-old German has posted 13 birdies (and two bogeys) through two rounds, halfway to the tournament record of 26 birdies (Fuzzy Zoeller, 1994). Cejka has yet to win on the PGA TOUR, but he had a shot at the 2005 PLAYERS title. Fred Funk won at 9 under. Cejka was 8 under through 14 holes, but finished double-bogey-par- bogey-bogey to fall to a tie for 12th. The 36-hole record at THE PLAYERS was set by Greg Norman in 1994 at 130 (14 under) with opening rounds of 63-67. Norman went on to win THE PLAYERS by four shots. Only 20 players in tournament history have been in double digits under par after 36 holes, and Greg Norman and Nick Price are the only ones who have gone on to win.
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Cejka has held an outright lead only once in his career -- when he shot 64 (7 under) during the first round of the 2009 Verizon Heritage. Cejka went on to tie for 13th after rounds of 71-72-72. He has shared a lead four other times.
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In the last 10 PLAYERS Championships, only Phil Mickelson (2007) and Hal Sutton (2000) have managed to turn a 36-hole lead into victory. In the 35-year history of THE PLAYERS Championship, the 36-hole leader has gone on to win the tournament only eight times. If Cejka can do so, he would be the fifth international player in the last eight years to win THE PLAYERS.
Kevin Na: Na carded a 66 (6 under) on Friday -- his first round in the 60s at THE PLAYERS in 10 tries -- to move into contention at 137 (7 under). In three starts at THE PLAYERS, Na has missed the cut twice (2005, 2006), and he tied for 54th in 2008. Na is in the midst of a great season, with four top-10 finishes so far. In five seasons on the PGA TOUR, he has never recorded more than three top 10s in one year (three in 2007 and 2008). His best finish this year was third place at the FBR Open. Na is currently ranked 25th in the FedExCup standings. ...
Angel Cabrera: The Masters champion made a nice run today with a 65 (7 under) in Round 2, just one shot off the record second-round score at THE PLAYERS (64 by Dave Stockton, 1975; Fred Couples, 1984; Tommy Tolles, 1996). This was Cabrera's first round in the 60s at THE PLAYERS and only the fifth time he's broken par at TPC Sawgrass in 18 rounds. Only three players have won THE PLAYERS and a major championship in the same year and only one player has won both the Masters and THE PLAYERS Championship in the same season: Tiger Woods 2001 (Masters), Hal Sutton 1983 (PGA Championship), Jack Nicklaus 1978 (British Open). Cabrera has missed the last four cuts at THE PLAYERS (2003-08) and tied for 26th and 36th in 2001 and 2002, respectively. ...
Other player notes: Phil Mickelson (73-71 -- 144) is currently hovering around the cut line. In his career at TPC Sawgrass, Mickelson has made 11 cuts in 15 starts with three top 10s, including a victory in 2007. ... Davis Love III and Kenny Perry both have 15 cuts made in the tournament; if they get to 16, they would be tied for 11th all-time. Two-time champion Love is making his 24th career PLAYERS start this week, tied for ninth all-time. ... Brian Gay withdrew due to illness prior to the start of the second round. Carl Pettersson withdrew after playing 15 holes of Friday's round. Dudley Hart withdrew due to a sore back and hip prior to the start of his second round. -- Mark Williams
VEGAS CONNECTION (2 p.m.):: Alex Cejka -- born in the Czech Republic, raised in Germany -- lives in Las Vegas. Kevin Na -- born in South Korea -- also lives in Vegas. Paired together this week in a rare twosome, they keep calling each other "neighbor."
That would be neighbors who live 10 minutes from each other and shot 67 and 66, respectively, on Friday, with Cejka (11 under) currently leading Na and Masters champ Angel Cabrera (each at 7 under) by four shots midway through the second round.
"We had a great time out there," Na said of his pairing with Cejka. "That was the reason why we both played well."
Cejka had moved to southern Florida in 2002 after getting his PGA TOUR card but didn't find the weather (humidity, thunderstorms) or the bermudagrass to his liking, and decided to move to Vegas while on a trip to the West Coast. Na liked the two TPC courses in Vegas -- TPC Las Vegas and TPC Summerlin -- and considers McCarron International a benefit because he can fly direct to most places.
Besides living in Vegas, Cekja and Na also have a couple of other things in common. They've both had to endure some neck problems lately. And neither one gambles.
"I'm not much of a gambler, so that's one of the reasons why I can move there," Na said. "It I was a gambler, I probably wouldn't." -- Mike McAllister
TRACKING TIGER (1:40 p.m.): Tiger Woods teed off about 30 minutes ago and already has his first birdie of the day, getting up-and-down from the bunker on the par-5 second hole. Whether Woods is able to continue to play, we'll see (follow his every shot with Shot Tracker), but talking to someone who is very close to Woods, there's no question he's a bit of a changed person and as a result a little bit different of a player.
Woods misses being at home with his wife Elin and their two kids -- though the family is with him this week -- and his intense focus isn't quite what it once was. That's not to say he's distracted, it's just that kids change yor life and Woods admitted to as much earlier in the week.
The other end of the equation is that Woods is frustrated that he hasn't been able to get his game and his body back to what they once were, at least not yet. And he doesn't know when it will happen. There are signs of progress, but when you're the No. 1 player in the world it can be difficult to be patient. -- Brian Wacker
MICKELSON MAGIC (1:25 p.m.): Phil Mickelson isn't anywhere near the lead going into the weekend here at THE PLAYERS Championship, but that doesn't mean he was any less exciting in his Friday round.
Sitting outside the cut line most of the day, Mickelson birdied the par-5 second to get to even on the tournament -- and likely inside the cut. Mickelson then bogeyed the par-3 eighth, however, to dip back outside the cut. Needing a birdie on No. 9 to likely secure a spot on the weekend, Mickelson reached the par-5 hole in two, but faced a lengthy 53-footer. Mickelson delivered on cue, rolling it to 3 feet before putting out for a bounce-back birdie. -- Brian Wacker
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TRADING THE BADGE FOR A GOLF BAG (1:10 p.m.): Anthony Anderson, who plays Detective Kevin Bernard on the long-running crime drama "Law & Order," is here at THE PLAYERS Championship.
He just made an appearance on the GOLF CHANNEL set, which makes perfect sense. Not only is "Law & Order" on NBC, which will broadcast the final two rounds of THE PLAYERS this weekend, Anderson is the host of the original GOLF CHANNEL series "Golf in America," which debuts June 23. -- Helen Ross
KLAUK CLIMBING INTO CONTENTION (12:25 p.m.): The thousand rounds Jeff Klauk played here growing up as a kid is apparently helping out in his first PLAYERS Championship. Klauk, who grew up in Ponte Vedra Beach and who is the son of former longtime course superintendent Fred Klauk, is 4 under through his first 10 holes today, bringing him to 5 under for the tournament in into a logjam tie for seventh. -- Brian Wacker
ANOTHER AMAZING DAY FOR CEJKA (12:05 p.m.): Alex Cejka just finished his second round, taking full advantage of ideal scoring conditions during his morning tee time on his way to a 67 and a two-day total of 11 under. That's just three shy of the tournament record for lowest 36-hole total here and leaves Cejka with a three-shot lead right now.
Cejka wasn't nearly as accurate off the tee or into the green today, but he putted extremely well with just 23 putts after hitting 10 of 18 greens in regulation. -- Brian Wacker
OUT AND ABOUT (12:00 p.m.): Rory McIlroy doesn't tee off until after 2 p.m. today, but he was already on the driving range well before Noon today and he didn't look particularly happy with the path of his ball or the mid-iron he was swinging. Yesterday, McIlroy shot a 2-over 74 after hitting just 6 of 14 fairways and 10 of 18 greens in regulation. ...
While McIlroy was practicing away, Davis Love III was just arriving at the course, hopping out of his courtesy car in shorts and a t-shirt. Love, who you can follow on Twitter at Twitter.com/Love3d, shot a 73 yesterday and will tee of in just over an hour from now.
Speaking of Twitter, you can follow the PGA TOUR's Twitter at Twitter.com/pgatour and yours truly for more news and insight at Twitter.com/pgatour_brianw. -- Brian Wacker
GAY PULLS OUT (11:49 p.m.): Brian Gay withdrew Friday, citing an illness. The recent Verizon Heritage champ shot 80 in the first round. -- Helen Ross
CABRERA SIGHTING (11:40 a.m.): Masters champion Angel Cabrera is one of several players who are making their moves Friday. Cabrera is 6 under through 13 holes.
If he doesn't stumble down the stretch, this would be the first time Cabrera has ever broken 70 at the Stadium Course. In 17 previous rounds going into today, Cabrera had just four rounds under par. He had failed to make the cut in his previous four PLAYERS appearances, and in last year's second round, he blew up to an 81.
But no doubt after Augusta, Cabrera -- who opened with an even-par 72 on Thursday -- has plenty of confidence. OK, it also helps to have great scoring conditions. -- Mike McAllister
EARLY CUT CHECK (11:10 a.m.): The cut line right now is sitting at even par, meaning that a certain 2007 PLAYERS Championship winner is facing the possibility of not being around for the weekend. Phil Mickelson is 1 over for the week as he plays the front nine after starting on the back this morning. Mickelson just hasn't been able to get anything going this week with a round of 73 yesterday and two bogeys and just one birdie through 10 holes today. The cut line may move a stroke higher, but Mickelson probably needs to get back to even par on his round today to ensure making the cut. -- Brian Wacker
LEADER UPDATE (10:50 a.m.): Alex Cejka's birdie barrage seems to have slowed, but just for a bit. He's still 6 under on his round and is now through 14 holes-- though he still has a par-5 left in No. 16. Meanwhile, Kevin Na has closed on the lead with his own round of 5 under going. Like Cejka, Na is bogey-free so far today. Not bad considering Na withdrew with an injury last week at Quail Hollow. -- Brian Wacker
DALY DUDS (10:30 a.m.): John Daly isn't playing in this week's PLAYERS Championship -- his last start here was in 2006 when he finished T45 -- but the pants he's wearing at this week's Italian Open are generating plenty of buzz here in the media center. As someone said a little while ago, the ones Daly is wearing today (on left in photo below) look like old drapes from a Holiday Inn.
Or as a certain fashion director told me, "He must have done a deal with Barnum & Bailey. All he needs are big floppy shoes and one of those big round fake red noses." Judge for yourself. -- Brian Wacker
RECORD IN JEOPARDY (10:15 a.m.): There's no word yet whether Alex Cejka needed another epidural this week, but apparently the nagging injuries that have been plaguing him this year aren't affecting him this week.
The journeyman German, who has twice been a runner-up but never won on the PGA TOUR, is tearing up TPC Sawgrass again with six birdies and no bogeys through his first 12 holes. That has him at 12 under for the week and within striking distance of the tournament record for best 36-hole start. Greg Norman owns that mark at 14 under with rounds of 63 and 67 the first two days of the 1994 tournament. -- Brian Wacker
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PLAYING THROUGH PAIN (9:50 a.m.): The fact that Alex Cejka was one shot off the lead after yesterday's opening round and that he's now moved into the lead, for the moment, at 10 under is surprising, but not terribly so given that he shot 64 a few weeks ago in the opening round of the Verizon Heritage.
What's more surprising is that Cejka has been able to play this good -- he hit all 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens in regulation on Thursday -- while playing through a myriad of injuries, many of which stem from neck surgery that he had late last year.
"They told me six, seven, eight months rest and I was out there four weeks later hitting balls," said Cejka, who woke up with a pinched nerve in his arm one morning at the Masters and last week had to get an epidural shot -- the same procedure women often get while in labor.
"The numbness is gone, but I'm not 100 percent," Cejka said. "The nerve is not healing so easy."
That might not be as bad as it sounds for Cejka, however. "I'm going to play through it," he said. "Maybe I'm playing better because I have other thoughts on my mind and I'm not focusing on the water or the rough or whatever." -- Brian Wacker
CEJKA, CRANE OUT FAST (9:35 a.m.): It's still way too early, but with the way players have been able to attack this course the first day-plus, you can't help but wonder if Greg Norman's tournament record of 24 under set in 1994 will be in jeopardy.
Alex Cejka and Ben Crane were two of the few players able to shoot low numbers here yesterday afternoon and they're benefiting from it enormously. Both are out early today and taking full advantage of the morning tee time -- Cejka is 4 under through nine holes and Crane 1 under through eight. -- Brian Wacker
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