What do we call a complete turnaround in golf? Justin Thomas at the Bay Hill versus Justin Thomas at the TPC Sawgrass. Just a week after a ‘humiliating’ last-place finish, Justin Thomas is once again back in contention. And in doing so, he is doing it with several other records that edged his career best at a place where he won the 2021 tournament.

After two consecutive 68 rounds, the 2x major champion is currently sitting in a tie for fourth (T4) on the leaderboard with a total score of 8-under par, four shots off the leader, Ludvig Åberg. And with this, Thomas finally broke a career milestone that had eluded him for sixteen long years. For the first time since his 2009 debut, he enters the weekend inside the Top-15 at the Players Championship, even besting his emotional win in 2021.

In 2021, JT was actually tied for 22nd after 36 holes, trailing by seven shots before a record 12-under weekend propelled him to the gold trophy. Last year, he recorded a disastrous 78 in the opening round. That’s why, despite a course-record-tying 62 on Friday, he entered the weekend well outside the leaders. In 2024, he even failed to make the cut and narrowly made the cut on the number, after two straight 73s entering the weekend a year before.

The leaderboard position is not the only historic thing about his performance this season. His 4-under 68 on Thursday was his lowest-ever opening round at TPC Sawgrass. The 136 total is also a career best start to a Players Championship in 11 appearances.

And what’s more encouraging? Thomas is doing all this while managing a microdiscectomy surgery. He underwent surgery back in November 2025 to repair a herniated disk in his back. After nearly six months without a competitive round, his return at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational (API) was a disaster. Thomas shot two 79s and finished dead last, a performance he called “humiliating”.

In the Players field, Thomas was a completely different man, opening his first round with three consecutive birdies, appearing to have completely shed the rust. He then stretched the lead to 6-under par at one point and was leading the field outright. Unfortunately, he bogeyed the final two holes (17 and 18) to finish with a 4-under 68. On day 2, he didn’t repeat the mistakes. He saved a par finish at the 17th hole before his clutch 18ft birdie finish.

“Man, it helps. I kind of had a deep breath to myself walking off 9 and even, like I said, internally, I needed that,” Thomas said.  “Just to—again, I feel like I’ve been playing well at home. I feel like I’m doing the right thing, swinging well. I feel confident with things. But again, until it happens in competition, it’s kind of hard to fully buy into you’re ready.”

While Thomas finds his groove, many stars are still battling to find their rhythm

Defending champion Rory McIlroy arrived at TPC Sawgrass as a very risky game-time decision. McIlroy has been battling a stubborn back injury that forced him to withdraw from the API Invitational. After opening with a two-over-par 74, his worst start this year, he admitted to feeling ‘unbelievably rusty’ with very little time to practice.

As of now, McIlroy is currently in a difficult spot at 1-over par (T51) after 36 holes, having only made the cut with a clutch birdie on his final hole. Though not much, McIlroy said he ‘hit the ball better’ in round two despite missing seven birdie attempts from inside 20 feet.

“I played well enough to be up the leaderboard, I just couldn’t get a putt to drop. It’s almost like [Thursday] was my practice round and [Friday] everything felt a little more comfortable.”

Several others, like Collin Morikawa, Ryan Fox, and Jake Knapp also navigating physical challenges at the PGA Tour’s flagship event. Morikawa and Fox had to withdraw with their injuries, while Knapp returned to the field from a recent illness but struggled to find his groove, missing the cut by a single shot.

Coming back to Thomas, his second start back is a far cry from Xander Schauffele’s grueling return from injury at this venue last year, which many people didn’t expect. In 2025, Schauffele barely made the cut while returning from a rib injury and cartilage tear. Thomas, by contrast, has gained nearly three strokes on the field in putting and looks physically renewed as he moved into the weekend.