The second round of the 2026 Players Championship will see those atop the leaderboard, who took advantage of softer conditions on Thursday afternoon, try to press their luck while trying to put distance between themselves and the rest of the field. Sahith Theegala, Sepp Straka, Austin Smotherman and Lee Hodges experience the quick turnaround into Round 2, while Maverick McNealy will wait and see where he stands among the pack when he tees off later in the day.
Rory McIlroy is among those in the morning wave. The world No. 2 opened his defense effort with a 2-over 74, noting that he felt uncomfortable over chip and pitch shots in particular as he made his return from back spasms that forced him out of last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. While McIlroy contends with the cut line, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler — two strokes better than McIlroy through the first 18 holes — is contending with his recent penchant for missing right.
Ludvig Åberg, Justin Thomas, Cameron Young, Russell Henley, Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama and Rickie Fowler are all within a handful of the leaders, setting up an exciting second round at the famed Pete Dye design. Check out Round 2 tee times at The Players, along with a complete Players Championship TV schedule and viewer’s guide, and keep it locked here for live scores, statistics, analysis and highlights from TPC Sawgrass.