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Players: Day increases lead, McIlroy six back
World No. 1 Jason Day, who tied the course record with a nine-under par 63 in the first round, was five-under through 14 holes in the second round of the Players Championship on Friday to increase his lead to three.
Play was suspended for the day because of darkness following a weather delay earlier in the day. He leads Shane Lowry by three strokes.
Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, made a significant move up the leader board, shooting an eight-under par 64 in a second round. McIlroy tied the back-nine course record at TPC Sawgrass with a seven-under 29, and had a good run at tying or beating the course record of 63. Standing at nine-under through 17 holes, he bogeyed his only hole of the day laying up on the par-5 ninth hole. He is tied at eight-under with Zach Johnson and Daniel Berger, and six shots behind leader Jason Day.
Jonas Blixt, Alex Cejka and Cameron Tringale stand at 10-under, just three strokes behind Day.
Colt Knost also tied the course record with a second-round 63 that included10 birdies. He is tied with Boo Weekley, Jerry Kelly, Russell Knox, Gary Woodland and Francesco Molinari at nine-under, and four shots off the lead.
Jordan Spieth, playing in his first event since the Masters, stands at one-under, as does defending champion Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson. Spieth and Mickelson have four and two more holes to play, respetively, to get to the projected cutline of two-under.