US Open champion Clark leads Players as McIlroy toils

Wyndham Clark four shots clear at halfway point of Players Championship. US Open champion carded a second seven-under-par 65. Xander Schauffele and Nick Taylor are on 10 under, with Matt Fitzpatrick and Maverick McNealy a stroke further back. Rory McIlroy slipped back to six under with a 73.

Scheffler posts five birdies in his 69 despite playing most of the round in discomfort. Northern Irishman knocked in a 16-foot birdie putt on the next hole. But a wayward drive into sand led to two more shots going on the 14th. Fitzpatrick is six shots off the lead after a second round of 66.

He is bidding to become the first player to win successive Players titles. The 28-year-old won last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational by five shots. Clark holed five birdies in six holes to edge clear of the field. Olympic champion Schauffele followed his opening 65 with a 69 that included a double bogey after finding water on the par-five 11th and an eagle three on the long 16th.

He was joined on 10 under late in the day by Canadian Taylor, who birdied the 15th and 16th holes as he carded a 68. Brian Harman catapulted himself into contention with a 65 to move to seven under. Two players will return on Saturday to complete their second rounds after darkness curtailed play once again. Both have chances of making the cut, which is set to exclude all those at level par or worse.

Japan#39;s Ryo Hisatsune will tee off on the par-five ninth, his final hole, on level par, knowing he must make birdie to make the cut.