– Ludvig Aberg (-12) has taken off today like a rocket in the second round of THE PLAYERS, carding a run of birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie on the first four holes of his round. He then stayed up there, flying high, imperious, conceding only a bogey at the 15th and finishing with a formidable birdie at the 18th of the Stadium course, as if it were that simple, to post a 63 and climb to the top of the leaderboard, two shots clear of his nearest chaser, another big winner of the day, Xander Schauffele (-10). There is a long way to go, but the duel between the Swede and the Californian promises great moments.
– It is worth pausing over Aberg‘s breathtaking start. He holed a very short birdie putt at the 1st; at the 2nd, a par 5, he left himself an eagle chance of just over four metres and holed it; at the 3rd, a par 3, he left the ball very close again (around two and a half metres) and did not miss; and at the 4th, as if that were not enough, he holed a millimetre-perfect chip and also made birdie. Then, at the 9th, he would hole it again from off the green to add his second eagle of the day. If there is one thing we are learning about the Nordic over the course of his still-short career, it is that he is worth the wait.
– Right behind the Swede’s group came a heavyweight trio: Scottie Scheffler (+1), Justin Thomas (-8) and Tommy Fleetwood (-5). Let us start with Thomas, because the man from Kentucky, in his second attempt after a long lay-off through injury and after the horrendous fiasco at Bay Hill, has found some good form. Today he simply enjoyed himself at Ponte Vedra Beach and positions himself as an emerging contender for the win. For a man with his CV it might be bold to say his performance is unexpected on a course that allows no half measures, but let us say it: it is surprising to see him so high so soon. Fleetwood is already well placed for the weekend, finishing his round with an eagle at the 16th (a near ten-metre putt). And Scheffler…
– The world No. 1 is suffering badly. At times, let’s be frank, judging by the way he had been playing from tee to green, especially off the tee, it looked as if he might break his imposing streak of made cuts (he hasn’t missed one since August 2022). It had to happen sooner or later and today he was buying a lot of tickets in that lottery. Aside from the mess he is making with the driver (now he plays the new one, now the old one, and he cannot seem to find the sweet spot on either), the Texan is deep in one of those dark-grey phases that every golfer experiences from time to time, one of those bloody dynamics where luck always falls on the wrong side. Those short putts missed with mocking cruelty, those shots that are not that awful, even if the result is…
– In any case, he finished the round like the great champion he is. With grit and determination. He could not afford another mistake because he came in at +2, right on the cut line, after a gloomy bogey at the 16th, and after saving par at the 17th with some uncertainty he had the 18th ahead, always so willing to confirm negative dynamics, but just as Aberg had done a few minutes earlier in much kinder circumstances, Scottie produced a hugely valuable birdie by doing what he has done so many times over the last four years: a great drive, a precision second shot and a good putt in from just under three metres.
– It will be interesting to see him tee off tomorrow in the early groups, as will Rory McIlroy (+1). Given what we have seen, and even considering these two monsters, it is extremely hard right now to back an epic comeback from either of them, much less to give them a real shot at victory. Especially in Scheffler‘s case you can now ‘officially’ call it a slump, a low point in form and feel… But just in case, we will not bet against him either. What is the need
