The Biscayan Jon Rahm, number one in the world, finds himself -3 (141) four strokes behind the leaders, Americans Sam Burns and Tom Hoge, after the dispute of the second day of The Players tournament. Rahm, who had just started his second ride when he stopped on Saturday, signed a card with 72 hitsnext to the difficult TPC Sawgrass course, in Ponte Vedra Beach.
The one in Barrika achieved four birdies (holes 6, 11, 16 and 18) for as many bogeys (8, 9, 14 and 15) on another irregular day with the putterbut was able to maintain the -3 of his first lap and continue to be ready to fight for the top positions.
Things are worse for the four players who can take the world number one from Rahm in this tournament. The cut was made by the Norwegian Viktor Hovland, with 144 (-1), and by a miracle the American Scottie Scheffler (146); and the Americans Collin Morikawa (148) and Patrick Cantlay (149) said goodbye to the last two rounds, the latter after making a +5 this Sunday.
Burns and Hoge have one stroke ahead of fellow countryman Harold Varner III and South African Erik van Rooyen and of two with respect to the Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, the Mexican Abraham Ancer, the Englishman Paul Casey, American Keith Mitchell and Canadians Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith.
The Chilean Joaquín Nieman fell back to eleventh position after making one over par (73, total of 140), tied, among others with the American Will Zalatoris, the Australian Cameron Smith or the Indian Anirban Lahiriwhile the defending champion, Justin Thomas, is already in the group of Rahm and Bubba Watson, the best in the second round with 68 strokes. Sergio García, winner of this tournament in 2008, progressed to twenty-second place by repeating a card with 71 hits after making four ‘birdies’ (2, 5, 6, and 11) and three ‘bogeys’ (3, 8 and 13).
