Thomas wins Boston for 5th title of the season

NORTON, Mass. (AP) — The victories keep piling up for Justin Thomas, and all that does is make him want more.

In a Labour Day finish that was harder 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 by closing with a 5-under 66 for a three-shot win in the Dell Technologies Championship. He started the PGA Tour season at No. 34 in the world with all of one PGA Tour victory.

Thomas won for the fifth time Monday, including his first major three weeks ago at the PGA Championship. He is No. 4 in the world. And barring Spieth running the tables the rest of the FedEx Cup playoffs, the 24-year-old Thomas would seem to be a lock to be voted PGA Tour player of the year.

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

Thomas made only two bogeys all week, the last one 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 6 feet on No. 13, a gap wedge to 4 feet on No. 15 for another birdie, and a 6-foot par save that kept him two shots clear.

Spieth wasted a start that riled up the New England crowd — birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie — by missing the 14th green with a 5-iron for bogey. Needing an eagle to stay in the game on the par-5 18th, Spieth pushed a 4-iron into a tough lie in the bunker, blasted over the green and made bogey for a 67.

Spieth was runner-up for the second straight week in the FedEx Cup playoffs. He lost a three-shot lead to Dustin Johnson on Long Island. There wasn’t much he could have done to stop Thomas, his best friend in golf since they were teenagers.

Spieth still moved to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup with one more event before the $10-million prize is decided at the Tour Championship.

Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world coming off his fourth victory of the season last week, started the final round three shots behind and closed with a 73 to finish 10 back.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford were the low Canadians at 8 under and tied for 13th. Hughes shot up the leaderboard after a 67 while Hadwin, who started the day two shots back of the lead, struggled to a 73. Nick Taylor (72), also of Abbotsford, finished 2 over and Graham DeLaet (70) of Weyburn, Sask., was 7 over.