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 rivalry 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 underneath and in contact with Min Woo Lee and Akshay Bhatia, who carded 66s to steer on 11 underneath forward of JJ Spaun, with McIlroy sitting tied-fourth alongside Collin Morikawa and Alex Smalley.
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Rory McIlroy posted a four-under-par 68 on the second spherical of The Gamers Championship to remain in rivalry at TPC Sawgrass
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 match file – in his second spherical, the place he equalled the course file regardless of bogeying his last gap of the day.
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McIlroy in rivalry 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 benefiting from the par-five second, lifting him six underneath 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 strategy shot.
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Rory McIlroy performed alongside Scottie Scheffler, who carded a second-round 70
“Much better,” McIlroy stated 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 in a position to give myself some alternatives and clearly make some birdies early. Could not fairly proceed that on to the again 9, but it surely was significantly better off the tee.”
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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 area 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 publish 66 and get to 11 underneath.
Thomas produces historic comeback
Thomas, the 2021 champion, carded a outstanding 16-shot enchancment on his opening spherical, the place he wanted a birdie-birdie end simply to publish 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 underneath for the day, earlier than selecting up a shot on the par-five sixteenth and draining a 20-footer on the iconic seventeenth.
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Watch all 11 birdies from Justin Thomas’ file breaking spherical, as he tied the course file 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 file, just for him to equal Tom Hoge’s whole in 2023 after dragging his strategy 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 underneath, with Morikawa – final week’s runner-up on the Arnold Palmer Invitational – additionally inside two of the lead after a second-round 65.
Extra to observe…
Who will win The Gamers? Watch all through the weekend stay on Sky Sports activities? Protection continues on Saturday from 1pm on Sky Sports activities Golf, with 10 additional 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.
