'Comical' – Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson tame brutal winds at 2022 Players Championship golf to set pace

Justin Thomas moved into contention to become the first man to win back-to-back titles at the Players Championship with a remarkable unblemished second round of 69 in gusting 35mph winds that reduced the Sawgrass field to farce. With the first round unable to resume before 12pm (5pm GMT) on Saturday due to ongoing overnight rain and thunderstorms in the local area in Florida, Thomas carded a level-par 72 before completing a bogey-free 69 in the second round to move to three under. Ad/> «I don't know what I'm happier about, I've obviously ecstatic to be done but I'm even more pleased to finish the day bogey-free,» said Thomas.

«I played one of the best rounds I've played in a very long time, if not ever. I'm just proud of how patient I stayed today.» The Players Championship'Fairways become flumes' – Storm-lashed Players Championship set for Monday finishYESTERDAY AT 01:02 /> «Comical is a word that comes to mind. Because of how soft it was, it wasn't unplayable or anything, the balls weren't rolling off the green.

But that was Open Championship-like. It was a lot of feel out there, for sure.» Former Masters champion Bubba Watson joined Thomas on minus three as he holed a 13-foot putt on the 18th to ensure he did not drop a shot in a four-under 68 despite the winds causing havoc for large swathes of the hopefuls. “The last couple holes, I brought a couple of extra sandwiches today, and I started eating to get some energy because the mental part, especially me, wears me down real fast," said Watson.