PONTE VEDRA, Fla. — Rory McIlroy, bad back, questionable form and all, survived to play the weekend in the Players Championship on Friday.
McIlroy, who was a question mark to even play at TPC Sawgrass this week after he was forced to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a back injury last Saturday, birdied his final hole on Friday to secure a tee time in Saturday’s third round.
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His birdie 4 on the par-5 9th hole, his last of the day, got him to 1-over par and safely inside the cutline.
“I’m happy to be here for the weekend,’’ McIlroy said. “I’m happy to get two more runs at it. It would have sucked to be going home this afternoon, so to hang around and play two more days, that’s a win.’’
McIlroy said NBC on-course announcer Jim “Bones’’ Mackay asked him as they walked down the ninth fairway what his playing plans were before the Masters.
“I said, ‘Bones, I’ll tell you after this hole; there’s a lot riding on this golf hole,’ ’’ McIlroy said. “Obviously, I wanted to make the cut, of course. Of course, you want to be here for the weekend.’’
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He said a missed cut “does wound your pride.’’
McIlroy also revealed that, had he missed the cut, he would have added a tournament to his schedule before the Masters.
Rory McIlroy birdied the ninth hole, his final hole of the day, to make the cut after Round 2 of the Players Championship on March 13, 2026. Getty Images
For the second consecutive day, Jordan Spieth had it going. And for the second consecutive round, he threw away valuable strokes on his final hole.
On Friday, he shot 3-under on his first nine holes and got to 5-under for the tournament, in contention. Then he took a double bogey 7 on his final hole, No. 9.
It was the second consecutive day he doubled his last hole. On Thursday, he hit his tee shot into the water on 18 and took double.
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“It was just a bummer, both days to finish with doubles,’’ he said. “I just played better than that. I’ve been playing really well.’’
Jordan Spieth reacts on the ninth hole during the second round of the Players Championship. Getty Images
A reporter then asked Spieth if he’ll think mostly about the good things he did in the round instead of the finish. “Never,’’ Spieth said, adding, “Have you ever played golf?’’
No Phil Mickelson beeper for Austin Smotherman.
Austin Smotherman, who’s 5-under par entering the weekend, said his wife is due to give birth to their third child on March 23, but he plans to keep playing.
“I left a couple weeks ago to go play the Florida swing, and my job was just to go play golf until I got back to hopefully Houston and could just drive up to Dallas if the baby came then,’’ he said. “My wife’s giving me the OK to play this week, just keep rolling no matter if I was shooting 5-under or 5-over, I guess.”
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“The plan’s to still play Valspar next week. So just keep playing golf, go have a baby whenever the baby shows up. She’s not getting induced or anything, so we’re just kind of letting it roll. Our first two (children) were a week and two weeks late.’’
Asked what the plan is if she’s about to give birth while he’s in contention, Smotherman said, “I don’t know what she’s going to do. She doesn’t know if she’s going to try and contact me, contact my caddie, and then figure out if he relays the info or if I just play. I’m just playing golf.’’
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