Daniel Berger fired five birdies and one bogey to close with a 4-under 68 and retain the lead by five strokes at 13-under at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

He leads the field in Birdies (14) and Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (8.742).

“I feel like I hit ’em better today and the score wasn’t quite as low. But yeah, it’s just one of those courses. It’s treacherous. You just got to stay patient and take what the course gives you, and when you have an opportunity, you got to take advantage because there’s not that many of ’em out there,” said Berger.

“I think the course is just playing different today than it was yesterday. The pins were tough and the greens are firm and the greens are fast, and you can hit a good shot and just because you’re 8 feet above the hole doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a birdie chance. So there was plenty of times where I hit some good shots to 20 feet and was happy walking away with a 4.”

This marks the largest 36-hole lead on the PGA Tour since Robert MacIntyre at the 2025 BMW Championship (5 strokes) and is the second-largest 36-hole lead in tournament history (7/Adam Scott/2014).

Berger holds his fourth career 36-hole lead/co-lead on Tour and first since 2022 (Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches/4th). He is 1-for-3 in converting a 36-hole lead/co-lead to victory (2016 FedEx St. Jude Classic).

The American has won four times on Tour at the 2016 FedEx St. Jude Classic, 2017 FedEx St. Jude Classic, 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge and 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He is playing in his 235th start and 83rd since his most recent victory.

Making his second start at the event, American Akshay Bhatia made one bogey and carded a 66, the low round of the day, to lie in second place at 8-under. He leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (7.930), his most gained thru 36-holes in his Tour career
(previous: +5.33/2025 PGA Championship).

Compatriot Sahith Theegala carded a 67, his lowest score in 14 rounds at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge and the only bogey-free round of the day, for a share of third place at 7-under. He qualified this week via the Aon Next 10 (No. 10) and has two top-10s in six starts this season (T8/The American Express, T7/Farmers Insurance Open).

Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg made four birdies, one bogey and one double bogey at the par-4 10th for a share of third place alongside American Collin Morikawa who made three birdies and two bogeys for a 71.

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy (NI) is tied in 9th place at 4-under having made five birdies and one bogey for a 68 while No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (USA) is T15 at 3-under having made three birdies and two bogeys for a 71.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational features a 72-player field and includes a 36-hole cut (top 50 and ties, as well as players within 10 shots of the lead).

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