Justin Thomas made waves at TPC Sawgrass on March 14, 2025, as he matched the course record with a stunning 10-under-par 62 during the second round of The Players Championship. This remarkable round placed him right back in contention, but it was Min Woo Lee and Akshay Bhatia who dominated the leaderboard, both finishing the day with impressive scores of 66, resulting in them sharing the second-round lead.
Currently, Lee and Bhatia both stand at 11-under 133 after their first 36 holes of competition. Close behind is J.J. Spaun, who is just one stroke out of the lead. Meanwhile, four-time major champion Rory McIlroy trails the leaders, sitting at 135 alongside Collin Morikawa and Alex Smalley.
Thomas's historic round saw him go birdie crazy, converting five birdies on the front nine alone. He then escalated his performance, making four consecutive birdies starting at the par-five 11th hole and concluding with another birdie from just inside five feet at the par-five 16th. Thomas described his day as being "in a groove," expressing pleasure at his hot start after struggling with a first-round score of 78. "I hadn't had [such rhythm] happen in a long time. It was fun," remarked Thomas, who noted the softness of the greens allowed him to play aggressively.
Although he finished his round with a bogey at the par-four 18th after finding trouble, which included hitting his second shot right and then finding water, Thomas was upbeat about his performance overall. "One of those days. I was just trying to stay in my zone and finish strong," said the 31-year-old on his day filled with 11 birdies, the same number set as the previous course record by Tom Hoge just two years earlier.
Lee also impressed on the day, hitting seven birdies across his round but facing his lone bogey on his final hole, the par-five ninth. Despite this setback, the 26-year-old from Australia said he felt confident throughout the round, noting, "Felt really good over the ball...just really good numbers and rolled some putts in." Lee is seeking his first PGA Tour victory, having previously secured triumphs on the Asian Tour and the DP World Tour.
On the other hand, Bhatia, on the quest for his third PGA title, had his game clicking as he made eight birdies on the day, taking his total to 13 birdies through the first two rounds. These strong performances are reminiscent of last year's Texas Open, where he had similar success.
Also notable was McIlroy, who managed to fire off a 68, starting strong with six birdies over his first 11 holes. Despite facing two bogeys on the front nine, McIlroy appeared encouraged with his overall game, stating, "Much improved off the tee today and it set me up for good opportunities. I'm really encouraged with how I hit it today." This strong performance came just months after his victory at Pebble Beach, emphasizing his consistency.
Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler, the two-time defending champion and world number one, shot a steady 70, finishing at 139 and voicing his frustrations about not scoring as well as he hoped. "I felt like I could have scored so much lower," he admitted, "but I'm still managing to do good things out there."
Xander Schauffele, last year's British Open conqueror, shot 71 to end up on 143. The 30-year-old emphasized his dissatisfaction, classifying his performance as "pretty bad" but remained resolute about pushing through limitations stemming from his recent rib injury.
The weekend is poised to be exciting as the trio of Lee, Bhatia, and Thomas—riding high on their respective momentum—gear up for the remaining rounds at The Players Championship. Each contender has their reasons to pursue the title, with hopes of breaking through and capturing the coveted trophy at the prestigious TPC Sawgrass.
All eyes will be on the leaders as they continue down the path toward the final rounds, with Thomas aiming to capitalize on his electrifying performance, Lee on the hunt for his landmark victory, and Bhatia hoping to continue his return to the top of professional golf.