The Players Championship: Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele stage the kind of showdown golf needs

RoryMcIlroyplayshisteeshotonthe10thholeduringthesecondroundofThePlayersChampionshipatTPCSawgrassonFridayinPonteVedraBeach,Florida.(PhotobyDavidCannon/GettyImages)DavidCannonviaGettyImagesTheyarrivedatthefamedislandgreen—No.17atTPCSawgrass—at10:30a.m.ET,theNos.1,2and3rankedplayersintheworldstagingahead-to-head-to-headshowdownattheso-called“fifthmajor.”Itwasararemust-seemomentforadividedsportthathasspentthelastfewyearswithitsbestplayersspreadaroundtheworld,rarelygettingtogethertostagewhatprofessionalsportsarereallyabout—thebestfacingthebesttoseewho’sactuallythebest. ButtherewasScottieScheffler(No.1),RoryMcIlroy(No.2)andXanderSchauffele(No.3)standingonateeboxtogetherinthesecondroundofThePlayersChampionship,givingthethousandsoffanssurroundingthemat17aglimpseofwhatgolfshouldbeonaweek-in-week-outbasis. FirstupwasMcIlroy,thenSchauffeleandthenScheffler.Theywouldallleavewithpar,butnotbeforeMcIlroynearlyholedhi