Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas both have homes near each other along Florida’s east coast.
The two players are members at the Bear’s Club in Jupiter, an exclusive club, and often play together outside of tournaments.
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Both are in the field for this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, but their weeks have gone in very different directions so far.
McIlroy signed for rounds of 72 and 68 to reach four-under-par going into the weekend. Meanwhile, Thomas finds himself at the bottom of the leaderboard after consecutive rounds of 79.
Thomas had back surgery last November, so it was always going to be a slow return to form.
Bay Hill isn’t exactly known for being forgiving. It might not have been the best place to ease back into things.
Rory McIlroy’s reaction to Justin Thomas choosing Bay Hill for his comeback
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
McIlroy spoke to reporters after his second round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Friday.
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And he was asked if he has any advice for Thomas after the American struggled on his return to action at Bay Hill this week.
“Yeah, look, I haven’t gone through surgery, so I don’t know what that’s like to come back from,” McIlroy admitted.
“But, yeah, it’s going to take time. I saw J.T. a few weeks ago and he said that this is going to be his first start and I said, ‘Oof, that’s probably not the best place to come back to after six months off’.
“But look, J.T.’s been one of the best players in the world for the last 10 years, he’ll be fine. He just needs to get sort of sharp again and get into tournament mode and all that stuff.
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“But as long as he got through these two days and didn’t feel any ill effects of the back or the surgery then I think he’s in a good spot.”Justin Thomas reveals his honest thoughts on joining Tiger Woods at PGA Tour venue
The more important thing will be getting rid of as much rust as possible before heading into Augusta next month.
If he stays patient with it all, things should work out fine for him down the line.
Rory McIlroy reflects on his opening two rounds at Bay Hill
Following his second round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy spoke about where he feels his game is currently.
“Yeah, very pleased,” said McIlroy. “One bogey. Hit it in the water on 8. But made a good putt for bogey there. I really felt like that kept any momentum that I had for the round going.
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“I played the last 10 holes really, really well. Overall, really pleased.
“Played a very sort of controlled, patient round of golf, which you need to do around here. Yeah, good day’s work.”
The four-time major champion will need something special over the final two rounds if he’s going to close the gap on Berger and contend for the title.
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