Returning to action after six months, no one expected Justin Thomas to go for the win. He needed time to settle in and adjust to professional golf once again. But no one expected him to finish dead last in the event as well. However, he proved everyone wrong with a 14-over par at the end of Friday. And Rory McIlroy had some blunt advice for Thomas after his horrid performance.

“I haven’t went through surgery, so I don’t know what that’s like to come back from. But, yeah, it’s going to take time,” McIlroy told the media in the presser post-second round of the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

He also added, “I saw J.T. a few weeks ago, and he said that this is going to be his first start. I said, ‘Oof, that’s probably not the best place to come back to after six months off.'”

Bay Hill Golf Club is challenging enough already for anyone who has been playing regularly. For someone who hasn’t played professionally for six months, it was going to be a hundred times more difficult. The risky tee shot on the 16th and the narrow fairway at the 18th make it impossible for someone without much practice to gain strokes.

Expectedly, Thomas scored 14-over par in two days. But McIlroy understood the situation he was in and had an apt response to it.

“J.T.’s been one of the best players in the world for the last 10 years; he’ll be fine. He just needs to get sort of sharp again and get into tournament mode and all that stuff. But, I mean, as long as he got through these two days and didn’t feel any ill effects of the back or the surgery, then I think he’s in a good spot.”

Returning after the surgery wouldn’t have been easy. McIlroy understands that Thomas just needs to find rhythm again. He was getting his swing in place even when he was recovering. However, as McIlroy stated, the 2-time major champion’s focus should be to stay fit. If he is able to manage that, then he will find his swing again eventually.

While McIlroy’s advice may be wise, Thomas had already expressed his disappointment with his performance much earlier.

Rory McIlroy may have been a few hours too late to give Justin Thomas advice

Rory McIlroy’s advice to Justin Thomas came after the latter was certain to miss the cut from the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational. However, the 2-time major winner was already disappointed after he shot a 7-over 79 on Thursday evening.

At the end of the first round, Thomas told the reporters, “I putted terribly today. I had a hard time gauging the speed. But just a lot of little stuff. I could not keep my concentration for the life of me on the back nine.”

“I would walk into the shot and have no idea what I was even trying to do. It was good to play an 18-hole pro-am yesterday for me to get used to being out here that long and trying to concentrate that long. I haven’t done that in a while.”

As Thomas mentioned, he was one of the worst at putting on the field for the round. Not that his work on the green got any better on Friday. In fact, it only got worse in the second set of 18 holes as he continued to miss the cup.

With nine bogeys, four double bogeys, and a triple bogey, there was no way Justin Thomas was recovering from the blunder at Bay Hill. No amount of advice or encouragement from Rory McIlroy could have saved him from missing the cut.