USA TODAY International Edition
ROOKIE WINS THE DAY, THOMAS THE FORTUNE
Schauffele takes finale; Thomas claims Cup, $10M
With six holes to play ATLANTA in the BMW Championship, the third event of the FedExCup Playoffs, rookie Xander Schauffele’s chances of advancing to The Tour Championship seemed remote.
Seven days later he won the PGA Tour’s season finale.
With nerves of a veteran and a game that held up under the pressure in a battle against some of the game’s best players, Schauffele claimed his biggest win and largest paycheck Sunday when he birdied the 72nd hole at East Lake Golf Club to topple Justin Thomas by one shot. The two were tied before Schauffele two-putted from just off the green on the par-5 18th for the separating birdie, the final putt circling nearly the entire cup before dropping. He signed for a 2under-par 68 to finish at 12 under and one clear of Thomas (66).
Thomas didn’t leave empty handed — his runner-up finish netted him the FedExCup and the $10 million bonus.
Russell Henley closed with a 65 to finish in a tie for third with Kevin Kisner (70). Paul Casey, who led by two after 54 holes, shot 73 and finished fifth.
“I thought it missed, that’s why I couldn’t even react to celebrate, because I thought I just missed a 2-footer to win,” said Schauffele, 23, who added that the ball did a “ring-around-the-rosy” before dropping. “Still kind of in shock. … It’s just unreal.”
Making it to The Tour Championship didn’t seem realistic last Sunday when Schauffele was well outside the final cutline to get to East Lake. Just as he was starting to think about his offseason, he started putting up red numbers in the final round of the BMW Championship. With four birdies and an eagle in his last six holes at Conway Farms Golf Club north of Chicago, he moved to No. 26 in the FedExCup standings and gained entry into The Tour Championship.
The victory was Schauffele’s second of the season and netted him $1.575 million. He also finished third in the FedExCup standings for another $2 million.
Thomas, 24, capped a dream season by leapfrogging Jordan Spieth to win the FedExCup and the $10 million bonus. While he fell one shot short of winning for the sixth time this season, his five wins, which included his first major title in the PGA Championship and 12 top-10s, is one of the best on record in Tour history.
Thomas birdied the 16th and 17th, but his big-breaking, 35-foot putt for birdie on the last hole missed by 1 inch.
“It’s awesome to win the FedExCup just because I feel like I played so well this year. I was consistent. A lot of great weeks and great memories,” said Thomas, who also shot 59 this year en route to victory in the Sony Open and 9-under-par 63 in the third round of the U.S. Open, the lowest score in relation to par in major championship history. “Lifechanging events that just kind of ended with another kind of lifechanging thing for me. To just have my name on the (FedExCup) trophy with the rest of those guys is pretty awesome.
“We started the year with a 75 in Napa (in the Safeway Open) and then I shot 66 to make the cut on the number. We’ve come a long way from that 75.”
Spieth, 24, who tied for seventh with his final-round 67, fell short of joining Tiger Woods as the only two-time winners of the FedExCup. He still finished second, good for a $3 million bonus. As well, he’ll likely win one trophy in Atlanta. He held the lead for the lowest scoring average for the season going into the tournament, and when the calculations are finalized, he’s expected to win his second Vardon Trophy.
Three months ago, Schauffele had yet to win on the PGA Tour. Then he birdied the last hole in regulation to get into a five-way playoff at sectional qualifying for two playing spots in the U.S. Open. He got one of them. He still was a relative unknown when he arrived at Erin Hills in Wisconsin for the U.S. Open but opened some eyes when he tied for fifth. Three weeks later, he won the Greenbrier Classic. With his win Sunday, he’s unknown no more.
“Five months ago, two months ago, five hours ago, I would have thought none of this was possible,” Schauffele said. “This is above and beyond.”