Check in after each round of the 2026 Players Championship for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics of the tournament, and join the conversation by tweeting us @golf_com.
Ludvig Aberg holds a two-shot lead at the Players Championship halfway point, with Xander Schauffele only two shots behind. Meanwhile, tournament favorites Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy had to dig deep just to make the cut. What was the biggest Round 2 surprise at the Players Championship?
What was the biggest surprise from Round 2 at the Players Championship?
Jessica Marksbury, senior editor: I’ll start, because I picked him to win this week: Scottie! The World No. 1 battling the cutline at the Players is highly unexpected. The long, post-round range session in the pouring rain yesterday certainly didn’t bode well for today’s performance. And while everyone is entitled to an off week or two, it’s just not something we have come to expect from a ball-striker of Scottie’s caliber.
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Josh Sens, senior writer: No doubt about Scheffler. I’m also a bit surprised to see Justin Thomas so sharp. He’s a past Players champ, of course, and a two-time major winner. But his rough showing in his return at Bay Hill last week made me think it would take more time for him to shake the rust off.
Zephyr Melton, associate game-improvement editor: Outside the obligatory Scottie Scheffler answer, I’ll go with Ludvig Aberg. Sure, he played well last week, but outside of that he’s been pretty pedestrian for quite some time. I’m excited to see if his fine form lasts through the weekend.
Nick Piastowski, senior editor: Yeah, it’s Scheffler, But Keegan Bradley’s turnaround was pretty stunning. He was six-over for the tournament after 19 holes — then played seven-under golf after that.
Josh Schrock, associate news editor: Scottie hitting all over the map is the answer but I think Corey Conners deserves a 36-hole shoutout. His best finish so far this year is a T24 at the Sony. He doesn’t have another top 30! But he birdied five of his first six holes on Friday and holed out for an eagle on the par-5 ninth. Sustainable? I don’t know but I’m excited to see which of the “others” on the leaderboard (Conners, Hodges, Bridgeman, etc.,) hang around on the weekend — and who gets Sawgrassed quickly.
