Rookie
Xander Schauffele outdid the big guns to win the Tour Championship on
Sunday but Justin Thomas hit the jackpot by taking home the $10 million
prize for claiming the FedEx Cup playoff title.
The 23-year-old
Schauffele fired a two-under 68 in the fourth round to became the first
rookie to win the Tour Championship as he beat Thomas by one shot at
East Lake golf course.
Thomas put the finishing touches on his
breakthrough season by closing with a 66 to claim the PGA Tour’s playoff
title and the $10 million first place prize that goes with it.
“As a
competitor you are mad that you didn’t win the tournament but then you
realise what an unbelievable honour this is, the fact that you can win
something over the entire course of the season,” said Thomas, who won
five tournaments in 2017, including the PGA Championship.
“I played really well over the season and it is nice to finally play well in some playoff events and have it all pay off.”
The
last time different players won the tournament and the FedEx Cup was in
2009, when Phil Mickelson won the Tour Championship and Tiger Woods won
the Cup.
Jordan Spieth made a run at the FedEx Cup title with a
Sunday charge but his three-under 67 left him in second place overall,
660 points back of Thomas in the standings.
“He has that belief now
that he can make it happen,” Spieth said of Thomas. “The progression he
has made this year into becoming a phenomenal closer has been a pleasure
to watch.”
The Tour Championship is the last of four events of the
FedEx Cup playoffs and the finale to the PGA Tour campaign for the 11th
consecutive season.
Thomas’ playoff win brings to a close the
year-long schedule that began last October in California. Five players,
including Thomas, controlled their own playoff destiny if they could
capture the Tour Championship this week, but Schauffele came out of the
shadows to make it interesting.
Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Marc Leishman and Jon Rahm also could have all won the FedEx Cup title with a Tour Championship victory.
Schauffele finished with a 12-under 268 total, one stroke ahead of Thomas.
Russell Henley (65), and Kevin Kisner (70) tied for third at 10-under 270.
England’s
Paul Casey, who began the final round with the lead, struggled from the
beginning. He had back-to-back bogeys on the front nine and wound up
with a 73 and finished in fifth at 271.
The consolation prize for Casey is he gets to go home and see his newborn daughter for the first time.
Spieth made a run but finished in a tie for seventh at seven-under 273 and was left to muse about missed opportunities.
Spieth’s swindle falls short
“I almost cheated my way into winning the FedEx Cup when (Thomas) really deserved it,” Spieth said.
Schauffele added some drama to his final hole when his two foot putt for the win ringed the cup before falling in.
“I
thought I missed it, that’s why I couldn’t’ even react to celebrate
because I thought I just missed a two-footer to win,” Schauffele said.
Rory
McIlroy, the 2016 FedEx Cup champion, finished 58th in the FedEx Cup
standings and did not qualify to play this year in the Tour
Championship.
Leading fourth-round scores
268 - Xander Schauffele 69-66-65-68
269 - Justin Thomas 67-66-70-66
270 - Russell Henley 67-71-67-65, Kevin Kisner 68-68-64-70
271 - Paul Casey (ENG) 66-67-65-73
272 - Brooks Koepka 66-69-68-69
273 - Tony Finau 68-71-68-66, Jordan Spieth 67-70-69-67, Jon Rahm (ESP) 67-67- 70-69
274 - Sergio Garcia (ESP) 73-66-68-67, Matt Kuchar 69-71-67-67, Justin Rose (ENG) 68-66-71-69
275 - Webb Simpson 66-67-72-70, Patrick Reed 69-65-69-72
Justin Thomas hoists the trophy after winning the FedEx Cup with Xander Schauffele holding Calamity Jane, a replica of Bobby Jones putter, after winning the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports