The PLAYERS Championship is giving golf fans a very different feel than they got watching the Arnold Palmer Invitational.Following a week full of U.S. Open-esque conditions and winds at Bay Hill, the PGA Tour field is tearing up TPC Sawgrass through the first two rounds of one of the biggest events on the calendar.One player taking advantage of the easier setup is rising star Akshay Bhatia, who fired a 67 in his opening round on Thursday. He followed that up with a 6-under 66 on Friday to move into a tie for the lead at 11-under par with Min Woo Lee.After a very clean, bogey-free first round, Bhatia suffered a pair of setbacks on Friday that partially offset his astounding eight birdies. His first bogey came on the first hole, Bhatia's 10th of the day after teeing off on the back nine, and it was one that he is not pleased with."I'm pretty annoyed I made a bogey with a 9-iron," Bhatia said after his second round. "That was my first bogey of the tournament."The 23-year-old is one of a crop of young, rising stars on the PGA Tour. He has already collected a pair of titles at the 2023 Barracuda Championship and at the 2024 Valero Texas Open.Bhatia played his first two rounds with two of the other bright youngsters on the circuit, 22-year-old Tom Kim and 21-year-old Nick Dunlap. After his round, the American took a moment to reflect on the next generation that is breaking through."It's really cool. Obviously we had probably the youngest group in PLAYERS history with me, Nick and Tommy," Bhatia said. "So it's pretty amazing how young golf is getting and how many young players there are. It's refreshing to see. I feel like we're kind of the next generation of the Rorys and Scotties and obviously Tiger's way up there, but I think it's really cool."Bhatia will be chasing his biggest career title over the next 36 holes alongside 26-year-old Australian Min Woo Lee, who also sits at 11-under through two rounds.More Golf: Scottie Scheffler Explains How 30 MPH Winds Will Provide PLAYERS Opportunity