2025 Players Championship, Day 2 recap: Min Woo Lee, Akshay Bhatia co-lead; Justin Thomas ties course record

A wet second shot on the final hole prevented Justin Thomas from establishing a new course record, but he went up and down for bogey to tie Tom Hoge’s 62 from two years ago. Thomas made 11 birdies.

He’s at 4 under for the tournament after shooting a 78 in the opening round.

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You know the drill: Justin Thomas, birdie, again, etc.

The birdie on 17 is his 11th — yes, eleventh — of the day. If he pars the last hole, it’s a TPC Sawgrass course record.

An unbelievable turnaround for Thomas has him at 5 under on the tournament. He’s in the mix, despite shooting a 78 in the opening round.

Alex Smalley is in the clubhouse with a 5-under 67 in the second round, moving up to 9 under on the tournament.

If we’re starting to see some slight separation at the top, Smalley is part of that group: He’s one of six players at 9 under or better, with the next-closest at 7 under, though Lucas Glover and Sepp Straka still have three holes to go.

Justin Thomas just made his TENTH birdie of the second round at The Players Championship.

If he goes 1 under across the last two holes, he’ll break the TPC Sawgrass course record, which Tom Hoge set two years ago. After a 6-over 78 in the first round, he’s now at a stunning 4 under.

Forgive us for sounding like a broken record: Justin Thomas just made birdie. Again.

It’s his ninth of the day. Through 14 holes. With zero bogeys. The course record is 62 (Tom Hoge two years ago), and it’s in serious danger.

Justin Thomas is in vintage mode at TPC Sawgrass. He makes the par-3 13th his EIGHTH birdie of the day, putting him a shot clear of the 1 under projected cutline ... and suddenly knocking on the door of contention?

Aaron Rai was two strokes off the lead after Round 1, but it’s been a tough go of it on Friday: A triple-bogey on 17 — after, obviously, finding the water — has him down to 2 under, nine strokes back.

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Rai falls victim to 17th with triple-bogey

Aaron Rai aced hole 17 at TPC Sawgrass two years ago. He learned a different fate on Friday, finding the water and three-putting for a triple bogey.

Justin Thomas shot a brutal 6-over 78 in Round 1, but six birdies through 11 holes Friday has him fighting for the weekend.

The projected cutline is 1 under. He’s at even par.

Wyndham Clark has withdrawn from The Players Championship with a neck injury after nine holes on Friday.

Clark, last year’s runner-up, shot a 4-over 40 on the front nine after an even-par Round 1. The projected cutline is 1 under, so Clark would’ve needed to catch fire on the back nine to see the weekend anyway — but he won’t have the chance to do so.

Wyndham Clark, last year’s co-runner-up, withdraws mid-round Friday at The Players

Clark withdrew after nine holes during the second round of The Players Championship.

• Golf Channel Staff,

• Golf Channel Staff,

You never know what you’ll get when you watch Jordan Spieth play golf, but you know you’ll get entertainment.

Spieth hit a lefty punch-out on the par-4 5th on Friday, giving himself a chance to go up and down to save par. He didn’t, though, but it could’ve been far worse than his second straight bogey. He’s at 1 under.

Akshay Bhatia followed up his 5-under 67 with a 6-under 66 in Round 2, tying Min Woo Lee for the co-lead.

Bhatia made eight birdies on Friday, including this one on 18.

Xander Schauffele birdied his final hole to reach 2 under, likely extending his cuts-made streak to 59.

Schauffele (currently T-56) shot 71 Friday while Scottie Scheffler (T-15) had a 70 and Rory McIlroy (4th) carded a 68.

The trio will have new playing partners in Round 3.

Where the world’s top 3 stand — in game and mind — after 36 holes together at The Players

The top three in the world played alongside each other over the first 36 holes at The Players, and the vibes vary wildly.

• Rex Hoggard,

• Rex Hoggard,

McIlroy bogeyed two of his final four holes Friday to shoot 68 and finish at 9 under, two back of clubhouse leader Min Woo Lee.

After a bogey at the par-4 sixth (his 15th), McIlroy’s second on the par-5 ninth found tree trouble. He punched out and then hit a wedge from 86 yards to 13 feet, missing from there.

An errant approach at the par-5 ninth (his final hole) led to Min Woo Lee’s first dropped shot of the day.

Lee finished with a 6-under 66 to enter the weekend at 11 under. He’s currently tied for the lead.

Granted, it was from off the green on his 13th hole, but it was still impressive and the birdie moved him to 8 under, four off the lead.

Rory McIlroy birdies his 11th hole to tie Min Woo Lee for the lead and Lee quickly birdies his 14th hole of the day (his third straight birdie) to again move one clear at 12 under.

With back-to-back birdies — and five over his last eight holes — Min Woo Lee reaches 11 under and takes a one-shot advantage over Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun.

With a birdie at the par-3 17th (his eighth hole), Bhatia is at 9 under and one back of Rory McIlroy.

Bhatia has made four birdies so far on Friday at TPC Sawgrass.

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1. Rory McIlroy (-10)
T-7. Scottie Scheffler (-5)
T-36. Xander Schauffele (-2)

Rory McIlroy, beginning at the 10th, made five birdies on his inward half to take sole possession of the lead, at 10 under, in Round 2 of The Players.

J.J. Jakovac aced the par-3 17th Wednesday during the annual caddie competition. His boss, Collin Morikawa, nearly did the same Friday.

Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Co. weigh in on the great debate:

McIlroy has four birdies in his first seven holes Friday and is tied for the lead at 9 under. After hitting only four of 14 fairways in Round 1, he’s hit 4/6 so far in Round 2.

McIlroy birdied his third hole (the 12th) while J.J. Spaun bogeyed the fifth. That knotted the two at 7 under before Spaun rebounded with a birdie at the sixth.

Quite the return for Max McGreevy:

Player who shot all-time worst 89 on Stadium Course in contention in 2025 Players Championship

Max McGreevy co-holds the record for the worst competitive score at this Players venue, but opened in 68 this year.

• Golf Channel Staff,

• Golf Channel Staff,

The two-time defending champion birdied the par-5 11 (his second) to get to 4 under. He’s tied for eighth and four back of leader J.J. Spaun.

After chipping in for birdie at the 10th (his first hole), McIlroy had 5 feet for back-to-back birdies to start his day. He never touched the hole, however, missing left.

Top 65 and ties (no 10-shot rule) make it to the weekend. The current projected cut line is 1 under, where Xander Schauffele sits after an opening birdie.

J.J. Spaun birdied Nos. 1 and 2 to take a quick two-shot advantage at 8 under par early on Friday.

One hole, one pitch-in for McIlroy. He gets to 6 under and trails J.J. Spaun by two shots.

While the second round will begin at 7:40 a.m. EDT, the first round, which was suspended by darkness, will recommence at 8:50 a.m. Five players need to finish their opening 18, including Max McGreevy, who faces a 16-footer for birdie at the par-3 17th to tie the lead.