Norton, United States: Justin Thomas fired a final round five-under 66 to win his fifth tournament of 2017, outduelling fellow American Jordan Spieth on the back nine at the Dell Championship on Sunday.
The two Americans battled hard down the stretch until Spieth saw his hopes dashed on the fairway at 18 when his approach sailed right and landed in a large bunker. His next shot travelled clear across the green as he finished with a bogey six on the hole.
Thomas completed the second tournament of the PGA Tour playoffs with a 17-under 267 total for a three-shot victory which propelled him into second place in the FedExCup standings behind Spieth.
“I have had a great year, just two more events to finish it off,” said Thomas.
Spieth’s bungle on 18 allowed Thomas, who was in the group behind, the luxury of taking a victory stroll up the fairway on 18 which he easily parred.
Spieth’s self-destruction at the Dell came one week after he blew a five-stroke lead in the final round and lost to Dustin Johnson on the first playoff hole of The Northern Trust to open the postseason.
Spieth, who shot a 67, finished solo runner-up at 14-under 270 while Aussie Marc Leishman fired a 70 to place alone in third, four strokes back of Thomas.
Spain’s John Rahm (68) and England’s Paul Casey (70) tied for fourth at 12-under 272.
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.
“Came out firing, like I said we had to do,” Spieth said. “Eight through 14 is the meat of the golf course. You want to get through even. I got through over par and didn’t get any coming in when I hit some good putts.”
Spieth still moved to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup with one more event before the $10 million (Dh36.7 million) prize is decided at the Tour Championship.
Leishman shot 30 on the front to build a two-shot lead, only for it to vanish quickly. He had to save bogey on No 10 after an errant drive. He three-putted from long range for bogey on the 11th. He found a bunker on the 12th for a third straight bogey. And then he closed with two bogeys that only cost him money. Leishman shot 70.
Dustin Johnson, the No 1-ranked player in the world coming off his fourth victory of the season last week, started the final round three shots behind and was one of the few players who was never in contention. He took two to get out of a fairway bunker and made a bogey on the par-5 second hole, and he closed with a 73 to finish 10 behind.
The PGA Tour heads into a dark week with Spieth, Thomas, Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama and Jon Rahm in the top five in the FedEx Cup. Next up is the BMW Championship north of Chicago for the top 70 in the standings, and from there the top 30 advance to the Tour Championship for a shot at the $10 million.
