Sunday 14 May 2017 08:55, UK
Louis Oosthuizen fired a flawless 66 to earn a share of the halfway lead with Kyle Stanley at The Players Championship as Vijay Singh rolled back the years at TPC Sawgrass.
Oosthuizen defied the tough Stadium Course to complete 36 holes with just a single bogey on his scorecard, and the former Open champion is perfectly placed to challenge for his first victory in the United States as he goes into the weekend on nine under par.
Fijian veteran Singh made a surprise appearance near the top of the leaderboard with a five-birdie 68, although he three-putted the final green for his only blemish of the day to slip three behind the leaders, while Ian Poulter led the English challenge as a late eagle at 16 lifted him to five under.
Rory McIlroy defied pain in his back to fire a battling 71 and make it safely through to the weekend on level par, the same score as world No 1 Dustin Johnson and Masters champion Sergio Garcia, but Jordan Spieth's poor record in golf's "fifth major" continued as he missed the cut for the third year in a row.
Oosthuizen plotted his way expertly around the revamped layout, getting into his stride with two birdies over his first four holes and adding another from 10 feet at the 17th - his eighth.
The 2010 Open winner then made a remarkable three at the first when he gouged his second from the trees to within five feet, and he holed from distance for another gain at the fifth before closing out a high-quality round of golf when he holed another 20-footer for his sixth birdie of the day at nine.
Oosthuizen's time as outright leader in the clubhouse was brief as Stanley, playing in the group behind, birdied two of his last three holes to also return a 66 featuring eight birdies including three in a row from the 15th.
The pair have a two-shot advantage over Ryder Cup star JB Holmes, who covered the back nine in 35 and then made birdies at four of the first six holes on the outward half but, in contrast to Oosthuizen and Stanley, Holmes bogeyed eight and nine to card a disappointing 69.
But Singh provided the best story of the second day following a flying start to his round, with birdies at the second, fourth and fifth setting him up for an outward 33, and the 54-year-old drained two huge putts at 11 and 12 to get to eight under.
The three-time major champion, whose last PGA Tour victory was at the Bridgestone Invitational in 2008, missed great chances from inside 10 feet at 16 and 17, and his unfortunate finish took a little gloss off one of his best days in recent years at his home course.
Poulter, playing in the final group of the day, found his range with the putter and reeled off four birdies in six holes on the front nine before giving a shot back when he pulled his tee shot into trouble at the short eighth.
The Englishman then struggled to threaten the pin as he settled for a run of seven pars, which he broke when he holed from just off the green at the long 16th for an eagle, but he failed to convert a delightful approach to seven feet at the last as he signed for a 67.
Spanish duo Rafa Cabrera Bello (-5) and Jon Rahm (-4) continued their impressive form along with Alex Noren, who was within two of the leaders until he bogeyed 17 and 18 to post a 71.
Defending champion Jason Day, chasing his first win since his four-shot triumph at Sawgrass 12 months ago, fired an erratic 72 to remain on two under alongside the likes of Henrik Stenson (70) and Phil Mickelson (72).
Stenson double-bogeyed the 18th while Mickelson ran up a five at 17 after over-hitting his tee shot and finding water, while Spieth came within inches of putting two balls in the lake at the penultimate hole, although he managed a wry smile when he holed from 40 feet at the last to return a 75 - four over for the tournament.
The large group on level par includes a host of star names and former Players champions, while the likes of McIlroy, Garcia, Johnson, Martin Kaymer and Rickie Fowler all hoping to mount an early charge on moving day.
