There was a gluttony of players going low on the sun-kissed stadium surface of TPC Sawgrass in the second round of The Players Championship.
Akshay Bhatia and Min Woo Lee held the joint lead at the halfway point on Friday, both shooting 66 to reach 11-under-par and one shot ahead of J.J Spaun and two ahead of Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy.
But at the other end of the leaderboard, several stars fell by the wayside in the 51st edition of what many golf fans see as the sport’s fifth major championship.
The Stadium Course at Ponte Vedra Beach might have conceded some low scores in round two, including a levelling course record of 10-under by Justin Thomas, but there were those who struggled too.
The Players Championship cut line was made at one-under-par. Every player on level-par or worse after two rounds didn’t make the weekend.
Let’s take you through some of the biggest names who will miss out on the weekend at The Players Championship, despite the second round not quite being complete:
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Viktor Hovland +4
Viktor Hovland has been more than open with his golf swing struggles in 2025 and his lack of form continued at the Players. After missing the cut at the Genesis Invitational, he also won’t play the weekend at Sawgrass.
A first-round 80 put the Norwegian star on the back foot immediately. Despite a score of 12 shots better on Friday, he cannot stop the rot he is in, which is concerning given it is a Ryder Cup year.
Ludvig Aberg +2
Ludvig Aberg only missed two cuts in 20 events on the PGA Tour in 2024. This is a rarity, but he made three double-bogeys on the Stadium Course in the second round to struggle to a three-over-par 75.
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His 71 on the opening day was fine, but this performance is in huge contrast to the one he put up at Torrey Pines in February where he won the Genesis Invitational – his first Signature Event victory.
Matt Fitzpatrick +6
Matt Fitzpatrick only has one top-25 finish in five PGA Tour events now in 2025. He has missed the cut which was on the cards after shooting 78 on Thursday.
The former US Open champion made two doubles and a treble-bogey in round one – far form his usually consistent self. Like Hovland, he will look to pick up form soon if he is to play for Europe at the Ryder Cup.
Max Homa +6
From being the best American at the 2023 Ryder Cup and a solid contender on the PGA Tour, Max Homa has definitely fallen out of form in 2025. The six-time tour winner has now missed three cuts in six events this season, and he also finished outside of the top 50 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Two double-bogeys in round one sent him on his way to a 79 which was responsible for his six-over-par total. Homa did finish tied for third at the Masters last year, so there is reason for encouragement as we approach April.
Tony Finau +8
Another six-time PGA Tour winner, Tony Finau has made a mixed start to the 2025 season. He has finished tied for 13th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and tied for fifth at the Genesis Invitational, but this is also the third cut he has missed.
Two scorecards of 76 meant he would not play at the weekend in Florida. Finau has never finished in the top 10 at the Players Championship.
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