Min Woo Lee Sizzles to Early Lead at The Players Championship

Australian golfer Min Woo Lee and Akshay Bhatia find themselves sharing the clubhouse lead at The Players Championship following contrasting performances in the second round at TPC Sawgrass, where the course proved challenging for all players involved.

Lee, hailing from Perth, has thrust himself into contention for what could be the biggest title of his career, with this event being the premier tournament outside the majors.

He hit a rich vein of form after the turn, racking up four birdies within a five-hole span on the front nine, only missing out on the more accessible par 5. However, his progress was hampered by a bogey on the par-5 ninth, resulting in a 6-under 66 for the day.

Bhatia also faced challenges on the par-5 ninth an hour later, where he adeptly navigated a tree by playing a clever wedge shot to set up a birdie, finishing his round with a score of 66.

Both players sit at 11-under 133, anxiously awaiting to see if any contenders from the afternoon group could catch up.

However, the competition remained tight.

J.J. Spaun recorded a 68, leaving him just one shot shy of the leaders.

At various stages throughout the day, Rory McIlroy found himself at the top of the leaderboard due to his ability to keep his shots in the fairway rather than the rough or pine straw. He finished with a score of 68, leaving him two behind the leaders.

Nevertheless, trouble was on the horizon; McIlroy encountered issues with a pulled drive on the sixth and struck the trees on his second shot on the ninth, both resulting in bogeys.

“I hit more fairways in six holes today than I managed in 18 yesterday,” McIlroy remarked.

“I was much better off the tee, which allowed me to create more opportunities and make birdies early. Unfortunately, I couldn’t maintain that on the back nine, but it was a significant improvement.”

Collin Morikawa, who finished as the runner-up at Bay Hill last week, was also two shots back after scoring a 65 that included two chipping birdies among his nine for the round.

“I wouldn’t say I was particularly driving well or hitting the ball fantastic, but I capitalised on the good shots I did hit,” he noted.

“I putted well and just avoided overthinking it. I recognised it wasn’t exactly my best game today, but I adapted accordingly.”

Scottie Scheffler, the two-time defending champion, could only manage a 70 and currently sits six shots behind the leaders, but he remains in contention, having previously made impressive comebacks from similar deficits.

Looking ahead to the third round, there are concerns over the forecasted wind conditions, which can make this already punishing course even more difficult.

The opening rounds had proven to be favourable for scoring, with players like Lee, Bhatia, and Morikawa filling their scorecards with birdies while minimising mistakes. Billy Horschel kept himself in the mix with just two birdies and a single bogey.

In the preceding round, Horschel had notched nine birdies alongside four bogeys.

“Despite making a lot of birdies, I appreciated today’s round because of my overall mental approach. I committed to each shot far more than I did yesterday,” Horschel explained.

“Yes, I made nine birdies yesterday, which isn’t bad. But the four bogeys were the result of shots where I lacked commitment.”

That is the essential requirement at Sawgrass—commitment.

As attention shifts to the cut line at the $40 million tournament, the richest in golf, the situation looks grim for the rest of the Australian players, none of whom are projected to survive the cut.

Xander Schauffele, who has made 59 consecutive cuts on the PGA Tour, finished with a two-putt birdie on the challenging ninth, ending the day with a 71, placing him on the cut line.

Recently returning from a two-month hiatus to heal a rib injury, Schauffele expressed his dissatisfaction with his performance, managing just seven birdies over two rounds.

“I’ve struggled with everything from not hitting approach shots close enough to duffing chips, hitting fairways, and missing greens. Overall, it’s been pretty disappointing,” he admitted.

“If I manage to scrape through to the weekend, that would be a bonus. But the way it feels right now, it’s not looking great.”