Justin Thomas came remarkably close to making TPC Sawgrass history during Friday's second round of the Players Championship, following up a disastrous opening 78 with a spectacular 63.

After starting with birdies on his first two holes, Thomas mounted an incredible charge. He turned at 5-under and continued his stellar play, making birdies at 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, and 17 to reach 11-under for the day.

Needing just a par on the 18th hole to break Tom Hoge's course record of 62, Thomas found trouble off the tee. His second shot from the rough caught a bad lie, sending the ball into the water. Despite a great recovery shot to within 22 inches, his bogey tied rather than broke the record.

"That was one of the best rounds I've played, for sure," Thomas said afterward. "Mentally it was the biggest thing. I felt like I did an unbelievable job of just staying focused, keeping my eyes forward."

The round set several records:

• 16-shot improvement from Round 1 to Round 2 (Players Championship record)
• 9.43 strokes gained (second-best in Players history)
• Most rounds with 10+ birdies at TPC Sawgrass (career)

Despite missing out on the outright course record, Thomas' remarkable turnaround moved him from likely missing the cut to firmly in contention heading into the weekend.

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