Thomas wins PGA’s top honor
Justin Thomas wrote down a dozen goals at the start of the season, some higher than others, none about winning PGA Tour player of the year.
He achieved so much that Thomas was the obvious choice.
Thomas had a tour-best five victories, won his first major at the PGA Championship, set the tour’s 72-hole scoring record and captured the FedEx Cup. After all that, it was no surprise when the tour said yesterday that Thomas had been voted the PGA Tour player of the year.
Thomas previously won the PGA of America award as player of the year, which is based on points.
Thomas was on the ballot with British Open champion Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama. Thomas made the choice easy when he closed with a 66 at East Lake to finish one shot behind in the Tour Championship, which allowed him to win the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus. And then he headed to Liberty National for his first Presidents Cup, where he went 3-1-1.
Xander Schauffele, whose two victories this season included the Tour Championship, was voted the rookie of the year.
Thomas is headed to Malaysia for the CIMB Classic, where it all started when he shot 64 in the final round for a 3-shot victory over Matsuyama. He swept the Hawaii swing, with a pronounced victory at the Sony Open. He opened with a 59 and set the tour’s 36-hole scoring record (123) and the 72-hole record (253) for a 7-shot victory.
He made his mark at the PGA Championship, winning at Quail Hollow for his first major. His fifth victory was at TPC Boston, where he outlasted Spieth on the back nine for a 3-shot victory . . . .
Four days after a strong showing in the United States’ victory in the Presidents Cup, Phil Mickelson begins his 27th PGA Tour season today seeking his first win since 2013 in the season-opening Safeway Open in Napa, Calif. Mickelson, winner of 42 career PGA Tour events including five majors, had five top-10 finishes last season in 22 events and is playing in his 91st tour event since his last win at the 2013 British Open.
Soccer: WC cities dropped
Cleveland, New Orleans and Pittsburgh have been dropped as potential host cities for the 2026 World Cup. Foxboro remains in contention.
The North American bid committee said yesterday it also cut Indianapolis and San Antonio, along with Birmingham, Ala., and Jacksonville, Fla. The Canadian cities of Ottawa and Regina, Saskatchawan, also were eliminated.
Thirty-two areas remain in contention, 25 from the United States, four from Canada and three from Mexico. A three-way bid from the United States, Canada and Mexico is favored to host the 2026 World Cup . . . .
Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay say they will make a joint bid to host soccer’s centenary World Cup in 2030. Uruguay staged the first World Cup in 1930.
Names: Two good as Gold
Weekly Gold Helmet awards for New England college football were handed out yesterday to University of New Hampshire junior wide receiver Neil O’Connor of Leominster and Husson senior running back John Smith.
O’Connor hauled in seven receptions for 154 yards and a careerhigh three touchdowns to pace a 45-17 drubbing of Bryant. It was O’Connor’s second Gold Helmet in a month. Smith, a native of Fayetteville, Ga., rushed for a schoolrecord 301 yards on 39 carries and scored two touchdowns in the Eagles’ 28-7 win over Endicott. Smith gained a school record 311 all-purpose yards . . . .
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will move to Team Penske’s sports car program next season, bringing his 20-year full-time IndyCar career to an end. The Brazilian driver, who will race in next year’s Indy 500, spent 18 years with Penske and has 30 IndyCar wins and 50 poles . . . .
England’s Davis Cup-winning tennis player Dan Evans will serve a one-year ban for testing positive for cocaine he said he kept in the pocket of a bag of toiletries. The International Tennis Federation accepted that “inadvertent contamination” was responsible for the British player’s positive test at the Barcelona Open in April.