Justin Thomas even surprised himself this week at The Players Championship.
Heading into the weekend at The Players Championship, Thomas had shot a two-round 68 and was four strokes behind leader Ludwig Aberg.
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The 32-year-old from Louisville, Ky., suffered an absolute disaster at Bay Hill last week, shooting two rounds of 79 and finishing in last place.
What a turnaround, though, for Thomas this week at The Players Championship.
Thomas competed alongside Scottie Scheffler in the first two rounds of The Players Championship, where he stole the show from the world No. 1 spot.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
The 32-year-old hasn’t played at Scheffler’s level in four years, but he proved at Sawgrass that he’s still one of the best golfers on the planet.
Justin Thomas’ honest admission after second day at Players Club
The two-time major champion had an exceptional week at TPC Sawgrass.
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He seemed to be in really good shape throughout the game, and that was backed up by the stats.
Through two rounds of player selection, Thomas ranked in the top 25 in all five key statistical categories.
However, he still has a lot of work to do if he wants to win for the second time this week in Sawgrass.
Thomas was asked by reporters if he has found it more difficult mentally or physically since returning to action after a long layoff.
“Psychologically it is definitely“ Thomas exclaimed.
“I said this to the pastor today – what was it, probably the 13th or 14th. I just thought, ‘Man, I’m kind of starting to lose focus’.
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“I became delirious, which is one of your over-concentrations where you’re somehow not thinking about anything. I don’t think about the shot I want to hit or the yardage I want to hit it for. It’s just that I’m lost.
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“I know it’s not the best thing to admit, but it’s reality. So I try really hard to take a break between shots and then when it’s our turn to hit, just really hone in and focus on what I want to do and then rinse and repeat until I’m doing it.“
Focusing for five hours under intense pressure is never easy, but doing it after six months away from the field is next to impossible.
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It may take some time for Thomas to rediscover his mental strength.
Justin Thomas on his caddy’s role when he’s in trouble
After day two of The Players Championship, Thomas was asked if his caddy said anything in particular to him when he started losing focus on the golf course.
“not necessarily,“ Americans admitted it.
“He did a great job yesterday and he did a great job today.
“Just focus on what we are doing. I’m swinging — just to reiterate, I’m hitting the golf ball well, I’m swinging the golf ball well, I’m doing all the right things. Just focus on what we are doing.
“The most important thing for me is to have commitment and confidence in the decision I make, the club I play for, whatever it is.
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“So I think the most important thing for him was to make sure I felt that way when I was shooting.“
Thomas may not be considered one of the favorites for the weekend, largely because he spends so much time away from competitive golf.
However, we all know he has the game and mentality needed to win TPC Sawgrass.
If he can stay focused through the final 36 holes, he should have a chance to win down the stretch.
