Golf Capsules
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Jason Day finished with two big birdies as the sky darkened Friday to reach 14 under and stay in firm control of The Players Championship.
Day rolled in a 40-foot putt down the slope on the par-3 13th, and then hit a 5-iron into 2 feet on the next hole to stretch his lead to three shots over Shane Lowry at TPC Sawgrass.
Greg Norman set the 36-hole record at 14-under 130 in 1994, the year the Shark made only one bogey the entire week. Day looks just as good and has yet to drop a shot over the 32 holes he has played.
A two-hour storm delay meant the second round could not be finished.
Lowry had a 68 and was at 11-under 133, a solid round that only got going when he hit a wedge so badly that it didn't each reach the island green at the par-3 17th. He managed to escape with bogey, and then holed a wedge from about 180 yards on the 18th hole for eagle.
Jordan Spieth was just hopeful of a Saturday tee time, as was Phil Mickelson.
Spieth got to the projected cut of 2 under with back-to-back birdies to start the back nine, only to catch a bad break when a rake kept his ball from rolling into the bunker and stayed on the steep slope leading to the sand. The best he could do was chip over the green and he made bogey, and his tee shot was wild to the right on the 15th when they stopped because of darkness. Spieth was at 1 under. Mickelson had to make an 8-foot par putt on the par-5 16th to stay at 1 under. He was to return at 9:15 a.m. to play the 17th and 18th, likely needing a birdie on one of them to make the cut.
Defending champion Rickie Fowler shot 71 and was at 1-under 143. He needed help to make the cut.
Alex Cejka and Jonas Blixt each shot 67 and were at 10-under 134, along with Cameron Tringale (69).
Rory McIlroy needed a birdie on the par-5 ninth o become the first player to shoot 62 on the Stadium Course at Sawgrass. McIlroy opted to lay up from 271 yards, chunked a wedge, chunked a chip and made bogey for a 64. He was 8 under.
The biggest thrill belonged to Will Wilcox, who hit pitching wedge for a hole-in-one on the island-green 17th. It was the first ace on that hole in 14 years.
MAURITIUS OPEN
BEAU CHAMPS, Mauritius (AP) - Australia's Andrew Dodt shot a 2-under 70 in windy conditions to open a three-stroke lead in the Mauritius Open.
Dodt had an 8-under 136 total on the Ernie Els-designed Four Seasons on the east coast of the Indian Ocean island. South Korea's Wang Jeung-hun, coming off his first European Tour title last week in Morocco, was second after a 70. The tournament is sanctioned by the European and Asian tours.