Thomas remains hot, is likely player of the year

The victories keep piling up for Justin Thomas, and all that does is make him want more.

In a Labor Day finish that was more difficult than the final margin suggested, Thomas kept his patience when Jordan Spieth shot out to a brief lead and Marc Leishman built a two-shot lead at the turn. Keeping his mistakes to a minimum, Thomas outlasted them both Monday by closing with a five-under-par 66 for a three-shot victory in the Dell Technologies Championship at Norton, Mass.

He started the PGA Tour season at No. 34 in the world with all of one PGA Tour victory.

A five-time winner this year, including his first major three weeks ago at the PGA Championship, Thomas is No. 4 in the world. And barring Spieth’s running the table the rest of the FedEx Cup playoffs, Thomas would seem to be a lock to be voted PGA Tour player of the year.

“I have two events left,” he said. “I have two more opportunities to win. And I’d love to make it six or seven wins.”

Thomas, 24, made only two bogeys all tournament, the last putting him in a three-way tie with seven holes to play.

He won on the back nine at TPC Boston with a sand wedge he gouged out of the rough to six feet on No. 13, a gap wedge to four feet on No. 15 for another birdie and a six-foot par save that kept him two shots clear.

Kevin Chappell made his first Presidents Cup team by a fraction of a point, needing a lot more help that he realized. Chappell bogeyed the last hole at the Dell Technologies Championship but still earned enough FedEx Cup points to secure the 10th and final spot over Charley Hoffman. He’ll be one of at least four U.S. players making their debut in a Presidents Cup or a Ryder Cup.