Golf: Danny Lee in share of second at Players Championship

Danny Lee reacts after sinking a putt during The Players Championship. Photo / Getty

Kiwi golfer Danny Lee is two rounds away from claiming one of his career-best results, but he will need to overcome one of his recent shortcomings to do so.

Lee sits in a tie for second at the Players Championship - billed as golf's unofficial fifth major - after a superb six-under second round of 66.

It was a round which launched him to 10-under for the tournament - his best start to an event since last July.

To find success at the Players though, Lee will need to also record his best finish. This year, Lee has made four cuts in 13 events, but in each case he has stumbled on the weekend - failing to claim a top 50 finish on the PGA Tour in 2018.

His weekend rounds in those four events do not make for pretty reading - 73, 78, 70, 75, 70, 79, 70, and 74 - and before the dream of winning the title begins, Lee will need to ensure he first consolidates his promising position.

After carding a relatively sedate four-under in his first round, with five birdies and one bogey, Lee was moving all over the leaderboard this morning.

The 27-year-old carded eight birdies, an eagle, two bogies and a double bogey in his round, a round which saw him sit at even par through 11 holes before roaring home.

On his final seven holes, Lee picked up six shots, catapulting him past an array of talent to be sitting pretty on the leaderboard.

Lee puts the success down to his putting, currently sitting second in putts per green in regulation for the tournament.

"I've been putting really bad this season, I just haven't been hitting it that well. I'm really happy to see the results coming out this week - it feels like it is the right time at the right moment."

Lee's round was the second-best of the day, but unfortunately for him, the best round was recorded by the runaway leader.

Webb Simpson tied the course record with a nine-under par 63, and it could have been even better, with the American reaching 11-under par with just two holes to play.

Alas, one of those holes was the famous island green on number 17, and Simpson sent his tee shot into the water.

"Just the wrong club," Simpson rued, but he had a handy consolation prize - going five shots clear atop the leaderboard at 15-under par.

His 36-hole lead is the largest in the history of the tournament, and the three other players to have led by three shots or more at the halfway mark have all gone on to win the tournament.

Bad news for the chasing pack, but before Lee sets his sights on winning, he'll first need to fix his weekend woes.