Good news, golf fans: there’s a ton of star power atop the Players Championship leaderboard with 36 holes remaining at TPC Sawgrass’ famous Stadium Course. Still, a couple of stars — and players expected to contend this week — are heading home early.
Among them is 2021 Players champ Justin Thomas, who shot a two-over 74 on Friday and finished one over par overall, which was two shots off the 36-hole cut of one under. Reigning U.S. Open champ Wyndham Clark is the clubhouse leader at 14 under.
Thomas struggled last year and missed the cut in three of four majors. He also finished T60 at the Players, a tournament he won three years ago. But he’s turned things around this season, and entering the Players he had finished in the top 12 in four of his five starts in 2024. (He had just five top 12s in 21 starts all of last season.)
He felt confident early in the week.
“I feel good about my game,” Thomas said on Wednesday. “I feel like things are very, very close in terms of winning tournaments. I feel and know that I’m playing well enough to win tournaments. It’s just at this point about actually doing it. I think it’s, like a lot of us, start putting a little too much pressure on ourselves and I sometimes want it a little bit too bad. So just stay patient and just trying to let it come to me and let it happen, and hopefully it happens sooner rather than later.”
One of Thomas’ playing partners, Rickie Fowler, shot 69 on Friday and made the cut on the number. Scottie Scheffler, who battled neck pain on Friday, rounded out that threesome and put together the best 36-hole score of their group, following a Thursday 67 with a 69 to get in at eight under overall.
Missing the cut this week also means missing out on a huge payday. The Players’ $25 million purse is the biggest on the PGA Tour schedule — $5 million more than the Tour’s Signature Events — and awards $4.5 million to the winner. Even fifth place gets a seven-figure check.
Also missing the cut this week was Jordan Spieth, who shot 74-72 (two over overall), and Will Zalatoris, who shot 73-75 (four over). Zalatoris was a trendy betting pick due to his precise ball-striking (a key to winning at Sawgrass) and recent form (top four in his last two starts), but he struggled off the tee and around the greens on Thursday and Friday. He missed the cut by five.
Other players who missed the cut: Billy Horschel (one over), Nick Dunlap (three over), Adam Hadwin (four over) and Keegan Bradley (six over). The second round was suspended due to darkness at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, with two players left to complete their rounds. The second round will resume at 7:50 a.m. on Saturday, and the third round will begin at 8:20 a.m.