Justin Thomas was standing in a playoff at Harbour Town, sinking a 21-foot birdie putt to end a 1,064-day victory drought. This week, he is sitting at +9 through two rounds at the same course, tied for last place in the field. But this doesn’t seem to bother him. His response is his grandfather’s saying and a chicken emoji.

The defending RBC Heritage champion took to Instagram after rounds of 76 and 75 to address his struggles directly. JT wrote, “As my grandpa used to say… Some days chicken, some days feathers. Well, feathers have been had!!!! Time for some 🐔 #golf.”

JT’s grandfather, Paul Thomas, was not a background figure. He was a PGA club professional for over 30 years, and was Justin’s first coach, toughest critic, and loudest supporter. He passed away in February 2021, with Justin saying “Heaven got a good one.” Since then, Justin has spoken about feeling his grandfather’s presence during major moments, making this Instagram tribute at one of his favorite Tour stops particularly personal.

The contrast is stark. In 2025, the 32-year-old closed with rounds of 61-69-69-68 to win. His 61 was a tournament-record-tying score. In 2026, he has carded 76-75, sitting nine over through the same number of holes, placing him at 82nd in an 82-man field. His scorecard from Round 1 shows he made bogey or worse on eight holes, finishing the front nine at +2 before deteriorating to +5 for the round.

This is not entirely unfamiliar territory for Justin Thomas. After his microdiscectomy in November 2025, he returned to the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational, shooting 14-over across two rounds, finishing last and missing the cut.

“I just felt like I was humiliating myself out there,” he said at Bay Hill. His recovery showed promise at THE PLAYERS Championship, where he finished T8 with rounds of 68-68-72-72, and he later recorded a T41 at the Masters.

Justin Thomas has shown before that ugly starts don’t define his week. At the 2025 PLAYERS Championship, he shot a 78 in Round 1 and came back with a tournament-record-tying 62 in Round 2, a 16-shot swing in 24 hours. The RBC Heritage, however, has no cut, meaning Thomas will play all four rounds regardless, giving him time to find the form that made him a champion here just 12 months ago.

JT’s history at Harbour Town speaks to why this week stings more than most. He owns a win, a T5, a T25, and a T35 in his last four appearances, making it one of the more consistent venues on his schedule. He has called Harbour Town a course that “fits my game” and described winning here as “a pretty cool thing to add to your resume.”

Whether the chicken arrives in rounds 3 and 4 remains to be seen at the $20M event. However, with 36 holes left and nothing to lose, Justin Thomas will have every opportunity to redeem himself. Having said that, his struggle makes more sense when you understand what this week actually means.

Justin Thomas on the brutal reality behind golf’s six-week run

Six weeks, five events, three $20 million purses, two majors: the PGA Tour’s most demanding stretch runs from Harbour Town right through to the PGA Championship at Aronimink on May 14. Every player in this field has to survive it.

Justin Thomas addressed this schedule directly on Tuesday.

“It’s tough. It’s not how I would prefer to draw it up,” he told the media. His point was simple: compressing major preparation into back-to-back high-stakes weeks creates conditions most players would redesign if given the choice.

The math is especially hard for Thomas. He had one day to get from Augusta to Hilton Head. The walk to Augusta National is the hardest one of the year. The physio room was already full by the time the players got to Harbour Town. His 76-75 start is an example of this reality.

Still, Thomas kept his opinion. “Majors are kind of what guys build their schedule off of,” he said. “It’s also how your legacy is remembered.”

For a two-time major winner returning from back surgery, managing this stretch intelligently matters more than any single week’s scorecard.