Thomas fires off a 63, shares lead with Leishman

NORTON, Mass. — The best players are on top of their games for the second straight week of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Now there’s just a lot more of them.

Justin Thomas failed to birdie any of the par 5s on the TPC Boston and still turned in a tournament-best round of 8-under 63 on Sunday, giving him a share of the lead with Marc Leishman and setting up a Labor Day finish filled with some of the biggest names in golf at the Dell Technologies Championship.

One week after Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth produced a compelling duel on Long Island, they are part of a chasing pack at the TPC Boston.

So is Paul Casey, who now is 53-under par over his last 15 rounds of these playoff events. Jon Rahm couldn’t keep pace and lost his two-shot lead, though the 22-year-old from Spain remained just three shots behind.

Throw in Phil Mickelson, perhaps even Rickie Fowler, and a forecast that shifts from rain to sunshine, and it could be quite a show.

Thomas and Leishman were at 12-under 201, one shot ahead of Casey, two ahead of Spieth, three ahead of Johnson and Rahm.

“There is a heightened something to these playoff events that bring out certain champions for the most part,” Spieth said after finishing with two straight birdies to nudge closer to the lead. “It’s going to be a throw-down tomorrow.”

Thomas had his third round this season at 63 or better — a list that includes his 59 at the Sony Open and a 63 at the U.S. Open — to turn a five-shot deficit into a share of the lead and a chance to win for the fifth time this year.

He birdied six of the first 10 holes, the longest at 12 feet. He played down the 13th fairway on the redesigned 12th hole for the third time this week and holed a 50-foot birdie putt, and then added a pair of 25foot birdie putts.

And he didn’t even birdie any of the par 5s.

“I just felt I had total control of my game,” Thomas said. “But it’s crazy to think I did that and parred all the par 5s. That’s a little bit of a bummer, if I could somehow have a downside to the day. But like I said, I’m extremely pleased and put myself in a great position to win the tournament.”

Casey played in the final group at the TPC Boston last year, but Rory McIlroy ran him down with a 65 to overcome a six-shot deficit. Casey also played the three par 5s without a birdie, missing a 12-footer on the final hole that would have given him a share of the lead.