Justin Thomas came dangerously close to breaking the course record at TPC Sawgrass on Friday during the 2025 Players Championship. But after a bogey on the final hole, he had to settle for tying Tom Hoge’s course record with a 10-under 62—a remarkable 16-stroke improvement from his dismal 6-over 78 the day before. “I’m just happy to have a tee time tomorrow,” Thomas said with a grin. The 2021 Players champion had dug himself a hole after Thursday’s tough round, sitting at T-130. But Friday was a different story altogether!

His 16-shot improvement—setting a new record for the biggest one-day jump at the Players—catapulted him to T-29. When asked about the turnaround, Thomas laughed and said, “It’s funny, everything seems to happen in mysterious and weird ways.” The high point of his round came on the 17th hole, the iconic island green. Thomas drained a 19-foot birdie putt, the longest he made all day. He celebrated with a fist pump as the ball tumbled into the hole, his 11th birdie of the day, the most by any player on the Pete Dye-designed course.

Kevin Kisner, commentating on Golf Channel, couldn’t help but marvel: “You can’t make it more center-cut than that.” But on the 18th, Thomas hit a rough patch. His drive found the right rough, and his punch shot under the trees went too far, ending up in the water. He took a penalty shot but still managed to salvage a bogey. It was a frustrating end to an otherwise near-perfect round. The day before had been a nightmare. He started strong at 2-under through the first seven holes but then hit two errant shots at 17 and 18, leading to double and triple bogeys. That 78 was, by his own admission, the worst round of his career.

But Thomas wasn’t letting it get to him. “The score sucked,” he said. “It was absolutely terrible in every way, shape, or form. But it was a fluke.” His bounce-back performance showed just how quickly things can turn around in golf, and for Thomas, this comeback felt like a redemption story in the making. Well, JT finally did manage to stand out and give his best. The content probably made him write a note to himself. Posting pictures of himself from the golf course on his official Instagram account, he wrote, “Note to self… 62’s are WAY more fun than 78’s. What a day. We got ourselves a weekend tee time! LFG”.

Well, why would he not? He was so far away from the cut line, and now he will get to play in the weekend rounds. While Justin Thomas was able to save himself from the horrific start at TPC Sawgrass, not everyone was lucky enough!

Big names missing the cut at the PLAYERS Championship

Viktor Hovland, known for his solid performances at TPC Sawgrass in the past, struggled to find his rhythm this year. The former FedEx Cup champion ended up at the bottom of the leaderboard after an 8-over 80 on Thursday. Despite some better shots on Friday, he couldn’t make up for his early mistakes and will miss the cut for the second year in a row. Max Homa, a crowd favorite and six-time PGA Tour winner, also had a tough time. After a shaky start on Thursday, with four scores of six or higher, including a double bogey on the par-5 9th, Homa’s missed cut marks his first at The Players since 2021. It’s been a frustrating season for him, and this early exit only adds to that.

Ludvig Åberg, the World No. 5 and recent winner of the Genesis Invitational, couldn’t find his best form either. The Swedish star battled through five double bogeys or worse, with his tournament-ending blow coming on the par-5 16th. After such a strong start to his season, Åberg’s exit is especially disappointing. Joining Åberg in heading home early are other notable players like Hideki Matsuyama, Wyndham Clark (who withdrew due to a neck injury), and Hovland. Alongside them, former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, PGA Tour rookie Karl Vilips, Tony Finau, Sam Burns, Brian Harman, and Adam Scott are also missing out on weekend play.

It’s a tough break for these players, but as always, golf is full of surprises, and anything can happen in the next rounds. Stay tuned for more action from TPC Sawgrass and keep an eye on who rises to the occasion this weekend!