Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler make PLAYERS cut in dramatic fashion

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – At 1:48 p.m., with 32 players remaining on the course in THE PLAYERS’ second round, exactly 65 players stood 1 over or better for the tournament.

The cut line was very much in question at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course. Only the top 65 and ties would advance to the final two rounds, which will be contested Sunday and Monday after a series of weather delays that sent the tournament off schedule.

Some of the biggest names in the game were already in the clubhouse at 2 over, anxiously awaiting to see if they would play for a piece of THE PLAYERS’ $20 million purse, the largest in golf. That included 2019 PLAYERS winner Rory McIlroy and current FedExCup leader Scottie Scheffler, both of whom completed Round 2 on Saturday afternoon.

McIlroy had driven into the water on the 16th hole of his second round – the par-4 seventh – en route to a double-bogey. Pars on his final two holes gave him a second consecutive 73.

Scheffler was undone by a 6-over stretch on Nos. 15-18, including a water ball that led to a double-bogey at 17. He played his final nine holes in 1-under.

“I might be one short. … We’ll see what happens tomorrow,” McIlroy said Saturday evening. “It just depends on the conditions tomorrow for the other guys.”

The verdict wasn’t delivered until the final group completed its second round Sunday afternoon.

Scott Piercy hit two balls in the water on No. 17. His quadruple-bogey dropped him from 2-under to 2-over. That moved the players at 2-over to T65.

If Piercy or playing partner Nick Watney birdied TPC Sawgrass’ 18th hole – a tall task, since the hole is playing to a 4.7 average this week -- the cut line would’ve shifted back to 1-over.

Watney made par, Piercy made bogey, and the cut line was finalized at 2-over.

Seventy-one players survived the cut, which was finally made at 3:08 p.m. Sunday. The third round commenced in threesomes off two tees, with players teeing off from 3:15-5:16 p.m.

While McIlroy and Scheffler snuck into THE PLAYERS’ second half, several of the game’s biggest names failed to make the cut.

Collin Morikawa teed it up at THE PLAYERS with an opportunity to become world No. 1, but he – like many in the second round – fell victim to the island-green 17th.

Morikawa hit it into the water both times he played 17 on Saturday. He saved bogey each time but it was enough to keep him from playing the weekend. He made a 14-footer for bogey on 17 in his second round, but the world No. 2 didn’t make another birdie over the remaining 10 holes and two more bogeys left him with a 4-over total through 36 holes, two off the eventual cut line.

The cut line was projected to fall at 1-under after the opening round was completed Saturday morning, but steady winds brought myriad challenges in club selection, ball flight, mental agility and so forth.

Patrick Cantlay arrived at No. 17 tee at 2-over for the week, but he too hit it into the water. He made triple-bogey and signed for rounds of 72-77.

Other notables to miss the cut at THE PLAYERS …

• Jason Day, the 2016 PLAYERS champ, made three double bogeys in a second-round 78, finishing at 3-over for the tournament.

• Justin Rose hit two balls in the water at No. 17 en route to a quadruple bogey. He carded a second-round 79 to finish at 4-over total.

• Jordan Spieth made four consecutive bogeys early in his second round Saturday (Nos. 12-15), in addition to a double bogey at No. 18. He recorded a second-round 79, finishing 7-over total.

• Xander Schauffele found the water off the tee en route to a triple bogey at No. 18 (his ninth hole of Round 2). He carded a second-round 78 to finish at 7-over total.

• Brooks Koepka made two double bogeys in the second round, along with a ball in the water and subsequent triple-bogey at No. 17. He posted a second-round 81 to finish 9-over total.