Rory McILroy plays his TEE shot on the 10th hole in the second round of the players' championship at TPC Sawgrass Friday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by David Cannon / Getty Images)
(David Cannon via Getty Images)
They arrived at the famous Island Green – n ° 17 at TPC Sawgrass – at 10:30 am he, the n ° 1, 2 and 3 of the players classified in the world by organizing a confrontation facing the so -called “fifth major”. It was an essential moment for a divided sport that has spent the last years with its best players distributed in the world, rarely meeting to stage what professional sports are really – the best in the best to see who is really the best.
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But there was Scottie Scheffler (n ° 1), Rory McILroy (n ° 2) and Xander Schauffele (n ° 3) standing together on a box of tee in the second round of the players' championship, giving the thousands of fans who surround them at 17 an overview of what the golf should be on a week of week.
The first was McILroy, then Schauffele then Scheffler. They would all go with the peer, but not before McILroy almost put on his starting stroke.
At the microphone level, the three fought in the largest tournament outside the four majors. McILroy would take a solo lead a hole later – part of a first first -bogy, a first Bogey, who beat Scheffler and Schauffele by three strokes.
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On the macro, it was the millionth reminder that golf needs to bring anything together. Because if Scheffler, Mcilroy and Schauffele are classified respectively 1-2-3, are they really the three best golfers in the world? Bryson Dechambeau or Jon Rahm may have something to say about it, if they were part of the field of 144 players at Ponte Vedre, in Florida, this weekend. But they are not because they are in Singapore about to set it up in the fourth tournament of the Liv Golf season.
Who is the fault? Well, Dechambeau and Rahm took the bag to leave, but they took it for a reason, and this reason prompted the PGA Tour to make changes expected for a long time – namely its handbags, especially for “high” events. So they were not mistaken. But reality is now a sport that does not have its best players who play against each other outside four times a year, and that must change, for fear that golf will slip more and more into the level of sport “sustainable but more and more out of words”.
It is clear that golf fans will connect when the best players will play together. This year's ratings for signature events are considerably increasing from year to year, according to Nielsen. The pro-Am in Pebble Beach increased by 47%, the Genesis 6%and the Arnold Palmer 22%.
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TPC should see a similar increase, especially with the current classification.
Sitting at the top with the head is Min Woo Lee, with Akshay Bhatia, at 11 sous. Lee represents the new golf course, a 26-year-old who grew up in the social media era, an arena where golf is prospering, perhaps more than any other sport in the world. Lee may not be on the level of popularity of Mcilory, but if you are betting on the long-term golf market, this is where smart money would go.
McILroy, despite two bogeys in his last four holes, is only two back. He won the confrontation with three Friday players, carding a 68 at Scheffler's 70 and Schauffele's 71.
Scheffler, as always, hides 5 sous. Schaueffele, 1 sous, has just cut.
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If you are a golf fan, that's what you want, even if it would be even better if everyone was there.
Maybe next year, although at the ice rhythm of reunification discussions moves, do not hold your breath.
Spieth becomes left -handed
Did you know that Jordan Spieth, who plays the right-handers of the golf course, is actually left-handed?
Well, it was useful on Friday when he put his T-shirt on the fifth hole in the trees on the left side. Without a place to hit the right, Spieth has returned his club and, well, look:
From there, he managed to save Bogey. Spieth finished 3 sous, just above the cup at 1 sous.
Justin Thomas takes fire
One day after hiding 6 against 78, Thomas responded by race for the course record at TPC Sawgrass. Thomas observed 10 of his first 16 holes, stimulating it not only on the right side of the Cup line, but in the running. Then in the 17th green of the island, he turned on the place on fire when he emptied his 11th Birdie of the day:
At this point, everything he needed for the course record was a peer in 455 yards, by 4 18th. But after driving his ball to the right, he hung his approach shooting on the left and could only look at him while he dribbed in the water on the left side near the green – the same water he had found Thursday time on Thursday 17 and 18 years. A brilliant chip from there helped him save the Bogey, to attach the record for the 62-year-old course and to leave him 4 under the tournament.
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Two years ago, Tom Hoge pulled a 10 under 62. Ironically, the Hoge game partner that day was … Justin Thomas.
Notables missing the cut
With Min Woo Lee and Akshay Bhatia fixing the pace at 11 sous, the planned cut line arrived at 1 sous, leaving notable players on the wrong side and the end of the weekend. This list includes:
Justin Rose (E)
Adam Scott (+2)
Ludvig Åberg (+2)
Viktor Hovland (+4)
Brian Harman (+6)
Matt Fitzpatrick (+6)
Max Homa (+6)
Tony Found (+8)
Gary Woodland (+12)
