Min Woo Lee stumbled at the final-hole with his only bogey of the day and closed with a 6-under 66 to reach 11-under and take a share of the lead at The Players Championship.
“I just love this course. It just suits me so well,” said Lee. “The wind was a bit confusing today, but I really enjoy coming back here. I just love playing shots off tees and not hitting driver everywhere. Driver is a weapon of mine, but I love hitting that 2-iron everywhere, and if it’s a little firm, it kind of plays into my hands. I just love playing this course.”
Lee holds his first career 36-hole lead/co-lead on Tour. His previous best 36-hole position was T3 at the 2023 Players Championship where he finished T6.
The Australian seeks his first PGA Tour win in his 55th start. His best finish so far was T2 at the 2024 Rocket Classic and Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches.
His best finish in five starts this season was T11 at the 2025 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. He entered the week No. 59 in the FedExCup standings.
Akshay Bhatia made two bogeys for his 66 and share of the lead. He holds his third career 36-hole lead/co-lead and is seeking his third title on Tour in his 77th start. He is 1-for-2 converting to victory having previously won the 2024 Valero Texas Open and finished second at the 2024 Rocket Classic.
The American has had two top-10 finishes in six starts this season, T9 at The Genesis Invitational and 9th at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld. He entered week at No. 40 in the FedExCup standings.
“I think last week was a blessing in disguise almost to miss the cut because I was able to have my coach come back to Jupiter and I went a completely different route with my driver, went back to my older head, changed the shaft, and it just has been such a relief for me because I feel like the driver’s just kind of been the big thing holding me back.” said Bhatia.
“So I do feel like a lot of these tee shots do fit my eye, and I just, I don’t really have much fear when I feel like I’m swinging it well, minus one shot today. So it’s a good feeling. This golf course, it’s one of the best I think we ever play. It takes a lot of strength to kind of just hit the shots that you need to.”
18-hole co-leader J.J. Spaun of the United States made two bogeys and six birdies for a 68 and moved down into third place at 10-under.
Making his 15th appearance at The Players Championship, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is tied in fourth place at 9-under after carding a 68 to post his second-lowest opening 36-hole score at this event (135), his lowest since winning in 2019 (132). He seeks to become the eighth multiple winner of The Players Championship.
American Lucas Glover who held a share of the overnight lead shot a 70 and currently lies in T7 at 8-under.
Justin Thomas of the United States opened with a 78 on Thursday and followed it up with a 10-under 62 matching the low 18-hole score shot by Tom Hoge in the third round in 2023, the low round of the day by three strokes. He currently lies in T29 at 4-under.
Colombian Camillo Villegas who shared the overnight lead made three birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey at the par-5 11th for a 76 and moved down into T49 at 2-under.
