Players Championship: Defending Champion Scottie Scheffler Plays Through Pain Barrier

World number one Scottie Scheffler played through the pain barrier to keep his hopes of an historic title defence alive in the Players Championship. (More Sports News)

Scheffler received treatment from a PGA Tour physio during a second round of 69 at Sawgrass which left him six shots behind clubhouse leader Wyndham Clark, the US Open champion carding a second-consecutive 65.

바카라�I hit a shot on my second hole today and I felt a little something in my neck,바카라� Scheffler, who had started from the 10th hole, explained.

바카라�Then I tried to hit my tee shot on 12 and that바카라�s when I could barely get the club back. So I got some treatment, maybe it loosened up a tiny bit, but most of the day I was pretty much labouring to get the club somehow away from me.

바카라�I did what I could to kind of stay in the tournament today and hopefully it바카라�ll loosen up and then I바카라�ll be able to make somewhat normal swings tomorrow.

바카라�The way I was getting around the course, the way my neck was feeling, I didn바카라�t know if I was going to be able to continue playing, so yeah, good fight out there.바카라�

Scheffler, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational by five shots on Sunday, is bidding to become the first player to successfully defend the Players Championship title in its 50-year history.

Clark made eight birdies 바카라� including five in six holes around the turn 바카라� to reach 14 under par and enjoy a five-shot lead over the man he succeeded as US Open champion, England바카라�s Matt Fitzpatrick.

바카라�My iron play바카라�s been very solid, I바카라�ve rolled in a handful of putts and then I바카라�ve really been mentally strong so I바카라�d say all of those things are why I바카라�m sitting where I am right now,바카라� Clark said.

바카라�My iron play바카라�s been very solid, I바카라�ve rolled in a handful of putts and then I바카라�ve really been mentally strong so I바카라�d say all of those things are why I바카라�m sitting where I am right now,바카라� Clark said.

바카라�I felt the lie was good enough to kind of hack it on to the right side (of the green),바카라� explained Fitzpatrick, who birdied his final hole of the day to add a 69 to his opening 66.

바카라�I was aiming at the right bunker, which if you kind of go back there, you realise how far right it was. It just kind of snagged me and went left.

바카라�Otherwise I felt like I did everything well. Just felt like I played solid overall. Made a couple of putts when I needed to, drove the ball well and my approach play was good as well.바카라�

Asked about trailing Clark by five shots, Fitzpatrick added: 바카라�Anything can happen over the weekend, there바카라�s still two days, so you never know.

바카라�Another couple of six-under rounds over the weekend and you never know what can happen. So, for me it바카라�s just about trying to stay patient, just keep doing what I바카라�m doing and go from there.바카라�