The Players Championship Leaderboard And Live Updates: Rory McIlroy Faces Anxious Wait To See If He Makes The Cut

LOOK OUT FOR LUDVIG!

Ludvig Aberg's fast start to the second round continues with his third birdie of the day at the fourth. And the other hole? Well, that would be an eagle, moving him to five under for the day and eight under overall. He's now T3 and only two back of leader Schauffele.

SPIETH DOING SPIETH THINGS

Some things never change, and one of those is the wild ride all but guaranteed from a round involving Jordan Spieth. The three-time Major winner made seven birdies and a bogey before finishing with a double bogey at the last for a typically erratic 68. The upshot? He's three under and will be safely into the weekend.

A BEAUTY FROM GOTTERUP!

Chris Gotterup, the only player with two PGA Tour wins this year, found himself in trouble at two-over on the ninth (his 18th). So, how about a chip in for eagle? That'll do, and Gotterup moves to one above the projected cut line with his very last shot of the day!

STEADY FROM BROOKS

Brooks Koepka is still feeling his way back on the PGA Tour following a four-year sojourn to LIV Golf. He's even par for the tournament so far with plenty of golf to play today. He has begun his round with three pars.

SHANE SLUMPS

Another big name we won't be seeing at the weekend is Shane Lowry. The Irishman was going along OK in the first round - until the 18th, when he made a quadruple bogey to finish the day on a sour note. A one over on Friday meant he finishes five over for the tournament, and that's not going to be enough.

GREAT START FOR ABERG!

What a start for Ludvig Aberg. He began the day with a birdie at the first, and now he has an eagle at the second to move to six under and move to T5.

BIRDIE AT THE LAST FOR MCILROY

McIlroy lines up his eagle putt at the ninth, draws the club back and watches as it heads closer and closer to the hole, but it's not enough!

That would have brought him back to eagle, but instead, he takes a tap-in birdie to move him back on the projected cut line as he heads to the clubhouse. Will it be enough? We'll have to wait for a few hours to find out.

Moments later, leader Schauffele moves to 10-under with a birdie to finish with a hugely impressive 65.

MCILROY GIVES HIMSELF A CHANCE

At the par-5 ninth, McIlroy has a glorious chance to claim a precious birdie, or even an eagle, and move above the cut line. He makes the green in two, and just when he needs it, he might be about to save his tournament.

SCHEFFLER IS OFF

Two-time winner and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler gets his second round underway, but he's well right with his tee shot at the first. He was even-par after the first round, so might need to keep an eye on that cut line if he doesn't get a good start.

AGONIZING FOR RORY!

Moments after Schauffele's brilliance on the eighth green, McIlroy has his own birdie chance. It's so, so close but lips out and he'll remain at two over and, crucially, one shot the wrong side of the cut line.

What can he produce with one hole remaining?

BRILLIANT FROM XANDER

What a putt from Xander Schauffele! At his penultimate hole of the day, the eight, he drains it from 38 feet to move to nine under and take the solo lead!

COREY'S MOMENT OF MAGIC

Corey Conners is one of the co-leaders, and one of the reasons is a brilliant hole-out for eagle on the ninth earlier in the day.

Here's how he did it...

KEEGAN RALLIES

While defending champion McIlroy scrambles to make the cut, for Keegan Bradley, it's looking increasingly like he'll reach the weekend. The 2025 US Ryder Cup captain was six over at one stage, but now he's even par for the tournament.

With one to play, he just needs to hold his nerve now and he'll have likely done enough.

WELL PLAYED, SEPP

Just off the green at the ninth (his last of the day), Sepp Straka senses a birdie and a share of the lead. The putt's good and the ball looks like it's cooperating before just about skimming the cup as it rolls beyond.

Coming back, he makes his par and that's a solid two-under 70 for the Austrian.

HEADING HOME EARLY

Some players have already completed their second round, and for a few, their fate is basically sealed, with the likes of Kurt Kitayama, Joel Dahmen and Marco Penge all well below the projected cut line.

CAMERON MAKES A MOVE

Cameron Young joins Xander Schauffele and Corey Conners at the top of the leaderboard with his second consecutive birdie at the 15th. The leaders are all on eight under. Lower down the leaderboard, the projected cut line is currently one over.

CHANCE SPURNED FOR RORY

McIlroy has a birdie putt at the 15th, but it never looks like dropping, sailing left and beyond the hole.

At the top of the leaderboard, Sepp Straka slips to T3 with a a bogey at the 8th (his 17th of the day).

RORY ON THE ROCKS

There's a potentially big story developing, with defending champion Rory McIlroy having his work cut out to make it to the weekend.

It was hardly the best preparation for the two-time champion, when he spent until Wednesday nursing a back injury before his arrival at TPC Sawgrass.

He's currently +2 on the 15th, with a projected cut line of +1.

WELCOME!

Welcome to the second round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, where we have some big names scrambling to finish about the cut line.

I'll be here throughout the rest of the day's play with updates on the action and keeping you informed on what's happening in and around the cut line, with only the top 65 and ties making it to the weekend.