Justin Thomas performed golf’s version of what one of my friends would call the "Mongolian Reversal, a term that references the sudden downfall of the Mongolian Empire after the death of Genghis Khan.
But it has come to mean any big change in a situation, going from being down to being up or from being on top to not so much.
On Friday afternoon at The Players Championship, nobody personified it better than Thomas, who began his second round at 6-over following a first-round 78.
Obviously, he needed to post a low number just to make the cut, and he certainly did that, making a record 11 birdies en route to posting a 10-under 62, thus matching the course record at TPC Sawgrass.
History at @THEPLAYERS 🔥@JustinThomas34 has tied the course record @TPCSawgrass! pic.twitter.com/kebLBuQReI
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 14, 2025
"That was one of the best rounds I've played, for sure," Thomas told the media after his round was complete.
"I just got it -- mentally, it was the biggest thing," he continued. "I felt like I did an unbelievable job of just staying, keeping my eyes forward, keeping my blinders on, not looking backwards, forwards, anything like that. It was just, How can I put this ball in the fairway off the tee, and then how can I make birdie, and let's rinse and repeat."
"Rinse and repeat" was an unfortunate choice of words, as Thomas played brilliantly until he reached the 18th hole, where he tried to carve his second shot from the right rough to somewhere near the green. But it didn't carve. Instead, it curved too much and actually scared a large bird as it bounded into the water.
A big moan came from those of us sitting in the media center, who, at that point, were hoping Thomas would break the course record. He ultimately bogeyed the hole, marking the only blemish on his scorecard all day.
"I like this challenge a lot more than the challenge from yesterday," he noted. "I'm obviously excited. I'm thrilled. Making the cut is a really, really big deal. You don't have a chance to win the tournament unless you do."
Thomas shot the 62 on what everyone agrees is one of the most demanding courses on the PGA Tour and is now 4-under for the tournament, putting him seven shots back of co-leaders Min Woo Lee and Akshay Bhatia.
But JT has two more rounds to play, and he's given himself a fighting chance. He started the second round tied for 134th and is now tied for 29th. Now, that's how you vault up a leaderboard.
While the 62 is undoubtedly impressive, it's not Thomas' lowest round on the PGA Tour. He famously posted a 59 at the Sony Open in 2017 and went on to win.
Whether the same result comes this Sunday remains to be seen. But Thomas, who won The Players four years ago, has certainly put himself into the conversation.