Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas shining at the 2025 American Express

Thursday was a ho-hum-type day for Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler, with Thomas posting a bogey-free 5-under 67 and Fowler signing for a 3-under 69. Both those scores would normally put you right near the top of the leaderboard after 18 holes, but the American Express is a different animal. You need to go low all four days in the California desert if you want any chance of hoisting the hardware come Sunday night. So the two PGA Tour stars had to get to work on Day 2.

And that's exactly what they did.

Both playing the Nicklaus Tournament Course — three courses are used over the first three days before the final round is played at PGA West's Pete Dye Stadium Course (the third is La Quinta Country Club) — Thomas carded nine birdies, including a stretch of six straight to finish his day, and a bogey for a second-round 8-under 64.

"I feel like this course is just so gettable and every hole is a birdie hole, and when you're only 2-under through 12, that's pretty frustrating, and you feel like you're losing quite a bit of ground because you are losing quite a bit of ground," Thomas said. "I know how these places are, and I know that just there's runs just waiting around every corner, but you have to be in the right frame of mind for it to happen. That's just kind of what I told myself the first two days, and just finally hit one of those runs there, so I'm proud of myself for that."

His good friend Fowler said what you can do, I can do better.

The world No. 78 made five birdies on each side and didn't drop a shot all day to post a wonderful 10-under 62, his lowest round on Tour since the opening session of the 2023 U.S. Open.

"Body felt a little better today, freed up a little bit more," Fowler said. "Good to have the first round out of the way after a bit of time off. Haven't played a whole lot since July, a few tournaments in the fall, and get back at it here. A lot of good stuff at home, and had some good finishes in the fall, so I was just looking to kind of get back and get going from that. So a little rusty yesterday, but a lot of good stuff today, see if we can just continue riding that from here on out."

Both players are 13 under after 36 holes, well within striking distance of the lead held by Charley Hoffman and Rico Hoey at 16 under.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas go low at the 2025 American Express