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There’s no hiding when Bay Hill Club & Lodge is baked out like this. It accentuates misses and rewards great shots. We saw both ends of the spectrum on Friday in Orlando …

Theegala back on track

It’s hard playing golf when you know you’re far from where you once were.

That’s been Sahith Theegala’s life for the last six months. He’s felt healthy that whole time, following a stressful summer battling neck issues, but he hasn’t felt good about his game until recently. Naturally, everyone wants to know how he would compare his form before and after the injury, yet it’s the exact thought exercise Theegala is trying to avoid.

“I just can't force it,” he said. “Just got to keep putting in the work and execute as best as I can, and whatever the results are, it will be. But it is really nice to see a couple nice results to start the year.”

Slowly, that old version of Theegala is returning, the one that earned him a spot on the Presidents Cup team. He notched back-to-back top 10s at The American Express and Farmers Insurance Open and played solid in Phoenix and Riviera. He hasn’t truly contended yet, though. That will come this weekend. Theegala shot 5-under 67 to jump to 7-under overall, tied for third and six shots back of Berger.

A couple of stats that point to that: Theegala leads the field in scrambling, historically his calling card, and is third in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green. That’s Theegala’s recipe for success. Even if he won’t admit it, he’s starting to look like the Theegala of old.

Berger cruising at Bay Hill

If you only saw the ball flight, you might think it was mishit. Daniel Berger’s tee ball on the difficult 18th hole apexed at just 39 feet, the lowest of any drive hit in Round 2.

But no, it was not produced by an amateur who snuck onto the tee box and attempted to take a lash. And no, it was not a mishit. It was the best thing I saw on Friday, a low, peeling fade that carried just over 250 yards but rolled out to 315 yards and set up a simple wedge from the middle of the fairway and a comfortable par on one of Bay Hill’s hardest holes. It was a reminder of the shotmaker Berger is, one that is exceptionally fun to watch when he is healthy and rolling. That’s been the story through 36 holes at Bay Hill. Berger followed up a first-round 9-under 63 with a 68, the third-best round of the day, to open up a five-shot lead at Bay Hill.

“I feel like I hit 'em better today and the score wasn't quite as low,” Berger said. “But yeah, it's just one of those courses. It's treacherous.”

It’s Berger’s since the 2022 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, four months before he stepped away from the game for nearly two years to rehab a bad back. Watching that tee ball on the 18th made me mad all over again that he was out of pro golf for so long.

He’s not a golfer who blows you away with raw talent. He doesn’t hit it particularly far. His swing isn’t the most pleasing. But shots like his final drive on 18 show you why he’s carved out a steady career. He’s one of the preeminent shot shapers in an era that has prioritized uniformity. Berger stands out – and, through two days, he’s standing above the rest at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Playing through

• 🎬 Want more from Round 2 at Bay Hill? Here’s the …
• ❌ It was another tough day for Justin Thomas.
• ⛳ What’s it like to be an equipment rep? …

Parting shots

• 🦹‍♀️ shot a back-nine 32 to jump to 4-under overall, just inside the top 10 through two rounds. He led the field in SG: Off-the-Tee on Friday. As you’re looking for signs that his game is in form ahead of THE PLAYERS Championship and the Masters, making sure McIlroy’s superpower is still a superpower is a key element.
• 😲 Surprising stat: he's middle of the pack again in approach play this week. For how well he's started this season (a win and two other top-fives), somehow his approach play has been the worst part of his game. He's 57th on TOUR so far this year. Something to monitor as the season continues.
• 🇸🇪 ranks eighth in putting through 36 holes. Why does that matter? He changed putters this week, swapping back to the old gamer he used at the Ryder Cup. Åberg is 7-under and tied for third, six shots back.
• 🔶 continues to play solid golf. Remember that he played his way into all the Signature Events with a strong close to 2025, and he’s continued that in the early goings of the new year. He has three top-20s thus far and sits in solo-sixth.
• 🇵🇷 Keep an eye on the this weekend. Some very intriguing names are up top, including former collegiate hotshot Gordon Sargent, 18-year-old Blades Brown and John Dally II. Check out the leaderboard .