Thomas, rookie are big winners at PGA finale
ATLANTA — Justin Thomas is the FedEx Cup champion, a surprise to no one who saw him power his way to scoring records, his first major title and more PGA Tour victories than anyone this season.
Standing next to him at the trophy ceremony was Xander Schauffele, who never imagined being at the Tour Championship, much less winning it.
Both put on quite a show Sunday at East Lake Golf Club.
Schauffele — a 23-year-old rookie from San Diego who was worried about keeping his tour card a little more than three months ago — capped off an amazing summer with four par saves on the back nine when he couldn’t afford to drop a shot. He closed out his 2-under-par 68 by swirling in a three-foot birdie putt for a oneshot victory over Thomas.
“My hands were shaking so much,” Schauffele said. “I’m still kind of in shock.”
Thomas did his part, even with a runner- up finish. Five shots behind to start the final round and needing to play well to have a shot at the FedEx Cup, he nearly won the Tour Championship with two late birdies, only for his 25- foot birdie attempt on the 18th to snap hard
to the left in front of the cup.
He shot a 66, and his repeat victory in Malaysia, his sweep of the Hawaii tournaments — including a 59 and the lowest 72-hole score in PGA Tour history at the Sony Open — his PGA Championship win last month and a bold finish to the 2016-17 schedule carried him to a FedEx Cup title. It also left little doubt who was the best in golf this season.
Thomas won the $ 10 million bonus, along with second-place prize money of $945,000 that pushed him over $10 million as he won the season money title.
“It’s huge,” Thomas said. “It’s awesome just because I feel like I played so well this year. I was consistent. A lot of great weeks and great memories even — life- changing events that just ended with another life-changing thing for me. To just have my name on the trophy with the rest of those guys is pretty awesome.”
Thomas won more than the FedEx Cup. He also wrapped up the PGA of America’s points- based award for player of the year, and he’s a lock to get the players’ vote as PGA Tour player of the year.
Paul Casey, who now has gone 144 starts on the PGA Tour since his last victory (the 2009 Houston Open), lost a two-shot lead in five holes but was still in the game until he put his tee shot into the water on the par-3 15th. He played alongside Kevin Kisner, who also went into the water and lost his chance of winning.
Kisner had a 70 and tied for third with Russell Henley, who shot a 65. Casey closed with a 73 and finished fifth.
It was the first time in eight years two players celebrated at East Lake. Tiger Woods won the FedEx Cup and Phil Mickelson won the Tour Championship in 2009.
The surprise guest to the party was Schauffele, the first PGA Tour rookie to win the Tour Championship since it began in 1987.
“It’s been a wild ride,” he said.
A year ago, he missed his PGA Tour card by $975 on the Web.com Tour, then earned it in the four-tournament playoff series. Go back to the first week in June, and he was No. 134 in the FedEx Cup and just trying to keep his card when he qualified for the U.S. Open in a fiveman playoff for two spots.
He tied for fifth at that event, then won the Greenbrier Classic a month later. A week ago, his season was about to end until he played the final six holes at 6-under par to squeak into the Tour Championship.
“Five months ago, two months ago, three hours ago, I wasn’t expecting a lot,” Schauffele said. “I’ve hit every goal we’ve ever imagined.”
He finished at 12-under 268, a victory worth $ 3.75 million, with $2 million of that for finishing third in the FedEx Cup.