Players Championship 2015: Tee Times, Pairings and Predictions for Friday
The 2015 Players Championship caused even some of the world's best golfers to stumble in the opening round, and Friday should offer plenty of compelling storylines to follow as the weekend cut line is determined.
Rising young star Hideki Matsuyama headlines the leaderboard after a five-under 67. Kevin Na, David Hearn and Charley Hoffman matched Matsuyama's score, but it's a jumbled list of contenders toward the top.
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World No. 1 Rory McIlroy played with second-ranked Jordan Spieth and outclassed his prodigious playing competitor, carding a 69 to Spieth's 75. McIlroy is just two strokes off the lead, while Spieth will do well to make the weekend.
Since 101 players are within six shots of the lead, just about anything can happen at TPC Sawgrass. Read on for Friday's notable second-round tee times—the complete list can be found at PGATour.com—and predictions for how the day will play out.
| 1 | 7:36 a.m. | David Hearn, Jason Kokrak, Billy Hurley III |
| 10 | 8:07 a.m. | Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson |
| 10 | 8:18 a.m. | Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker, Henrik Stenson |
| 10 | 8:28 a.m. | Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, K.J. Choi |
| 10 | 8:39 a.m. | Martin Kaymer, Tiger Woods, Adam Scott |
| 1 | 1:17 p.m. | Jimmy Walker, Hideki Matsuyama, Ernie Els |
| 1 | 1:28 p.m. | Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler |
| 1 | 1:38 p.m. | Bubba Watson, Billy Horschel, Matt Kuchar |
| 1 | 1:49 p.m. | Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day |
Tiger and Phil Bounce Back
Both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson finished at one over par on Thursday. They both found the water off the tee at the daunting par-four 18th hole and made double bogeys to finish their respective rounds.
Otherwise the two biggest stars in American golf in recent memory played rather well to start. Golf Channel logged Woods' post-round optimism:
Mickelson is competing for the first time since finishing tied for second at the Masters Tournament—his second straight runner-up finish in a major. Something about the big tournaments has been bringing out the best in Mickelson of late.
ESPN.com's Bob Harig brings up a set of facts that may discourage Mickelson fans:
But such information only seems to indicate a player of Lefty's caliber is due for a rebound at an event he's won before, especially considering how sharp he looked at Augusta National.
The wind was blowing quite hard in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, during the first round. To put it in perspective on a briefly unrelated note, McIlroy's eagle at the par-five 16th saw him hit an 8-iron to the green for his second shot from approximately 200 yards away.
Such conditions made scoring tough, club selection tricky and caused some of the more seasoned veterans of this tournament to play a bit more conservatively.
Weather.com forecasts 11 mph winds for Friday. The greens are a bit wet and receptive as well, so scoring ought to be lower on Day 2.
Woods and Mickelson are going out in the morning wave. They will therefore be able to attack the flags and generate some early momentum to extinguish the bad taste they have to be feeling after unsavory Thursday finishes.
Revitalized Rickie Fowler Continues Resurgence
An anonymous player poll by Sports Illustrated called out Fowler as the most overrated player on the PGA Tour along with Ian Poulter. Fowler responded on Thursday by firing a three-under 69 and also spoke to the media about it, per ESPN.com's Jason Sobel:
Poulter and Fowler had a sarcastic exchange about their "overrated" labels on Twitter:
The way he answered questions Thursday both on and off the course seems to have Fowler revitalized.
With just one win on his resume since joining the PGA Tour, it makes sense that some may view Fowler's lack of trophies as a sign he's overrated. On the other hand, he's one of only three players to finish in the top five of every major in a single season, accomplishing the feat last year.
Had Fowler won one of those majors during a remarkable stretch of consistency and prowess on the biggest stages, no one would question him. A victory at The Players Championship—often considered the "fifth major"—promises to change the apparent widespread perception.
This observation from CBS Sports' Kyle Porter puts what Fowler accomplished at the 2014 majors in perspective, providing further proof he's on the cusp of big things:
The key is to get it done, which Fowler hasn't proved capable of doing as often as he'd like.
Coming off a respectable tie for ninth at the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship, Fowler is showing better form of late. The 26-year-old still has plenty of time to establish himself as a winner, but with the amount of competitive reps he's had to date, it's time to start cashing in.
Look for the aggressive Fowler to capitalize on tamer second-round conditions and to put up a low number on Friday.
Rory McIlroy Takes 36-Hole Lead
Lost in the shuffle of a crazy sports week was McIlroy's triumph at the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship to put some distance between himself and Spieth atop the world rankings.
McIlroy didn't show any signs of competitive fatigue in Thursday's first round. Only spotty iron play, more to blame on the blustery conditions and small TPC Sawgrass greens than anything else, prevented him from scoring better.
ESPN Stats & Info highlights how hot McIlroy has been at the Players:
After taking some time to figure out this venue, this could be the year McIlroy breaks through. He's had top 10s in his past two Players Championship starts and led the 2014 field in birdies, playing the back nine in 17 under par for the tournament.
What was most encouraging about McIlroy's opening 18 holes was his driving—he hit 12 of 14 fairways in regulation. If he keeps striping it like that off the tee, the rest of this stacked field will have a hard time denying McIlroy the trophy come Sunday.
McIlroy has been reigning atop the game of golf for a while, yet he hasn't quite been embraced as the new face of the sport. The more he continues to win big events, the more McIlroy will assert his presence as the man to beat.
Spieth is coming on strong as a formidable rival. The incentive to outplay Spieth should continue to drive McIlroy Friday and lead to him climbing to the very top of The Players Championship leaderboard.
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