MIAMI (AFP) — Rising star Wyndham Clark opened up a four-stroke lead at the Players Championship after his second straight round of 65 at TPC Sawgrass on Friday put him in a commanding position.

Xander Schauffele and Canadian Nick Taylor were both four strokes behind Clark, who was on 14-under par 130 after 36 holes at TPC Sawgrass, but world No. 2 Rory McIlroy fell back after shooting a one-over 73.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler battled a neck injury but stayed in contention with a 69 that left him six strokes back.

But Clark will take some beating if he can maintain the levels he has shown with his game over the past two days as he chases down the $4.5 million winner's purse at the US PGA Tour event at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

The 30-year-old American has risen from outside the top 100 in the world rankings a year ago to sitting in fifth place heading into this tournament.

He announced his arrival with victory at the Wells Fargo Championship last May and then followed up a month later with his triumph at the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club.

Last month, he added a victory at Pebble Beach, another of the tour's "signature" tournaments, to his resume and now has his eyes set on what was once considered golf's "fifth major."

His 130 for the opening two rounds is the second-lowest midway total in Players history and his final nine holes on Friday, on the front side, started with four straight birdies and ended with another on the par-5 ninth.

Highlights were an 18-foot birdie putts at the sixth after a 22-footer to save par on the previous hole.

Clark, who finished second at Bay Hill last week, rejected the idea that he only truly zones in when it matters most.

"I just really don't know what it is," he said. "I would like to play great every week. I really looked at how Scottie (Scheffler) has been playing this year and last year and I use him as someone to try to keep up with and he plays good every week."