With play being suspended this afternoon at TPC Sawgrass, due to lightning in the area, some may have wondered if they would cut the Players to a 54-hole finish. Luckily that will be unlikely as play resumed at 6:10 PM EST. Play was suspended shortly thereafter due to a lack of light, leaving some to head to the clubhouse in the fading sunlight over Ponte Vedra.
I don’t know if the rain was just a fluke, but it sure seemed necessary because some players were on fire today; Colt Knost being one of them.
I’m assuming his name won’t ring a bell, but I’ll bring you up to speed. Knost was the 2007 Amateur Champion and had the potential to be the first person to card a 10-under, 62 at the Players, but came up one putt short on the par-4 18th. Knost’s par putt lipped out to put him above par on the hole and nine under on the day. However, Knost’s accomplishment isn’t something to be scoffed at he joins the likes of Greg Norman, Fred Couples, Martin Kaymer, Roberto Castro, and Jason Day in shooting a 9-under, 63 at TPC Sawgrass.
Jason Day had a stellar afternoon as well on Friday. Day currently has a three-stroke lead over Shane Lowry who sits at 11 under par for the tournament. The thing about Jason Day is that he still has four holes left to play to finish up his second round, so he has the potential to run away with the day before it even technically starts.
I also can’t forget about Will Wilcox who may not have had as fantastic of a day on the scorecard compared to the two men above, but he’s certainly on cloud nine. Wilcox sank an ace on the par-3 17th hole, a feat not seen since Miguel Angel Jimenez did it in 2002.
There has been a bit of a downside to this Players Championship. With the course conditions playing fairly easy, it’s put a strain on the leaderboard, which currently has the projected cut at two under par. That leaves players like Bernhard Langer, Jordan Speith, and Phil Mickleson in danger of missing the cut.
Play for round two will continue Saturday morning at 9:15 AM EST.
