What a difference a day makes for Justin Thomas. After shooting a 6-over 78 in the first round of the Players Championship, the American fired a sizzling 10-under 62 in the second round to tie the course record at TPC Sawgrass.
Tom Hoge held the previous course record by himself with his 10-under 62 in 2023. Coincidentally, Thomas was in Hoge’s group to witness the 62 that day. Now he joins Hoge in the history books.
Thomas’ incredible second round vaulted him from T134 to T30. The 16-shot improvement is the biggest improvement between rounds in Players Championship history.
The stats show just how incredible Thomas’ turnaround was from Thursday to Friday. The World No. 9 lost 4.978 strokes from off the tee and 3.923 strokes on approach in the first round, mostly because he hit just 6-of-14 fairways and 5-of-18 greens. That completely flipped in the second round, as Thomas gained 1.714 strokes from off the tee and 3.688 on approach. He hit 11-of-14 fairways and 14-of-18 greens.
Although Thomas will be thrilled with his record-tying day, he’ll still be disappointed when he drives off the property. The 31-year-old made a long birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole to reach 11 under par, meaning he just needed a par on 18 to break the course record. After a wayward drive to the right rough, though, he pulled his layup into the water on the left to ruin his chances at a 61. Fortunately, he got up-and-down from his drop to finish off the 62.
Thomas went from looking up early flights home to making the cut with ease and putting himself in position to win his second Players Championship. If he keeps up this level of play, he’ll have a chance to catch the leaders this weekend.
