Min Woo Lee and Akshay Bhatia share lead at The Players as Justin Thomas ties course mark with 62

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Min Woo Lee and Akshay Bhatia shared the lead at The Players Championship going into a weekend with strong wind in the forecast and the potential for a wide-open chase. That includes Justin Thomas, the biggest surprise Friday.

Thomas opened with a 78 and was tied for 134th when he set the tournament record with 11 birdies. A bogey from the water on the 18th hole forced him to settle for a 10-under 62 to tie The Players record with Tom Hoge.

“Everything seems to happen in mysterious and weird ways,” Thomas said, unclear if he was speaking to his round or the very game of golf.

Lee made a sloppy bogey on his final hole at the par-5 ninth. Bhatia got creative with a wedge to make birdie on the ninth. Both had a 66 and were tied for the lead at 11-under 133.

Thomas was seven shots behind and not the least bit bothered by the deficit.

“I'm happy I have a tee time tomorrow," Thomas said. “I was losing to everyone playing golf at one point.”

Thomas witnessed the only other 62 at the TPC Sawgrass because he was playing with Hoge that day in 2023. He forgot about that until he saw an image posted on the video board behind the 17th green of him and Hoge hugging.

From the right rough on the 18th, the plan was to punch it low under the trees to about 20 yards short of the green. But the thick grass grabbed his club and turned it left, and the ball raced through the fairway into the water.

Thomas took a penalty drop, hit a lob wedge to 2 feet for bogey and at least shared the mark.

He has had some wild swings in scores on consecutive days, recalling the 67-80 he had at Royal Birkdale in the 2017 British Open.

“This one is a lot cooler,” he said.

Now comes the hard part. The TPC Sawgrass can be daunting in any conditions, but the 25 mph gusts expected Saturday — and the possibility of wind and rain Sunday — can make the Stadium Course a real thrill ride.

J.J. Spaun had a 68 and was one shot behind.

Rory McIlroy was at the top of the leaderboard during his morning round that featured six birdies in 11 holes, only for his momentum to stall. He had a pair of bogeys over the closing stretch, the last one on the par-5 ninth, for a 68 to finish two shots back.

“I think I hit more fairways in six holes today than I did in 18 yesterday,” McIlroy said. “Got it in play much better and then from there was able to give myself some opportunities and obviously make some birdies early. Couldn’t quite continue that on to the back nine, but it was much better off the tee.”

Collin Morikawa, the runner-up last week at Bay Hill who chipped in twice among his nine birdies in a round of 65, also was shots behind with Alex Smalley, who birdied two of his last three holes for a 67.

“I can’t say I drove it great and hit the ball amazing, but I really just took advantage of when I did hit good shots,” Morikawa said. “I putted really nicely. Also I didn’t try fighting it too much. I knew it wasn’t quite exactly how I was hitting it, and you just make due.”

Two-time defending champion Scottie Scheffler had to settle for a 70 and was six shots behind, still very much in the mix considering he rallied from five behind on the final day last year.

The 36-hole cut fluctuated throughout the afternoon with some wild shifts and plenty of emotion. The cut was 1-under 143.

Xander Schauffele made it on the number, extending his cut streak to 59 on the PGA Tour, the longest active streak since Tiger Woods (142) from 1998 to 2005.

That required the PGA and British Open champion hammering a hybrid onto the green at the ninth on his final hole and two-putting for birdie and a 71. That sounded like small consolation for Schauffele, who only returned last week from two months of letting a rib injury heal.

“Not hitting it close enough, to duffing chips, to missing every fairway, to hitting fairways, to missing greens. It’s pretty gross, to be completely honest,” he said. “So if I can eke out this cut, that would be nice. But the game feels pretty bad.”

Danny Walker also gets a weekend tee time after starting the week wondering if he would play at all. He didn't get into the field until Thursday morning when Jason Day withdrew with an illness. One of 26 newcomers in the field, Walker three-putted the final hole to finish at 1 under and had to wait an hour to see if he would make it.

Among those missing the cut were Ludvig Aberg, who won the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines last month and is No. 5 in the world. He had five double bogeys over two rounds, three of them Friday.

Jordan Spieth had another wild ride, which included hitting one shot left-handed out of the pine straw well left of the fifth fairway. Spieth was on the cut line late in the day when he hit the island green at No. 17 and then drilled a drive down the 18th fairway, leading to birdie and a 71 that put him eight shots back.

Divots: Wyndham Clark withdrew after nine holes with a neck injury. ... Six PGA Tour winners this year failed to make the cut, including Hideki Matsuyama.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Justin Thomas hits his second shot on the 18th hole during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Justin Thomas celebrates after making a birdie on the 17th hole during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Justin Thomas, right, shakes hands with his caddie Matt Minister on the 18th green after shooting a 62, tying the course record, during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Justin Thomas celebrates after making a birdie on the 17th hole during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Xander Schauffele hits an approach shot to the second green during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Collin Morikawa removes his cap after making a birdie on the ninth hole during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Collin Morikawa lines up a birdie putt on the ninth hole during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Scottie Scheffler walks off the third tee during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Scottie Scheffler watches his tee shot on the third hole during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Akshay Bhatia watches his approach shot to the ninth green during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Rory McIlroy watches his tee shot on the third hole during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Min Woo Lee leaves his shot in the bunker on the ninth hole during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Min Woo Lee yells after hitting his second shot on the ninth hole during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)