Justin Thomas has one fist on the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year award.
The 24-year-old Thomas claimed his fifth victory of the season, including the PGA Championship, by shooting 5-under-par 66 to beat his pal Jordan Spieth by three strokes in the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass.
“I’ve just been real patient, staying within myself on very shot, thanks to my caddie Jimmy (Johnson),” said Thomas, who took the lead with a 63 in the third round. “We don’t worry about what anybody else is doing or what I just did, staying in the moment.
“It’s obviously been a great year and we have two events to finish it off.”
Thomas, who moved to second in the FedExCup points lead behind Spieth after two events of the playoffs, finished with a total of 17-under 267.
Spieth, who took the lead in the point standings, had the lead at times after playing the front nine in 30, including an eight-foot eagle putt on the second hole. However, he faded on the back nine to a 67 and finished as runner-up in the second straight playoff event.
Marc Leishman of Australia, who also shot 30 on the front nine, stumbled with five bogeys coming home in a 70 and was four shots back in solo third, while Jon Rahm of Spain remained fifth in the point standings with a 67 that left him five back in a tie for fourth with Paul Casey of England, who is eighth in the standings after a 70.
Kevin Na of Diamond Bar shot 66 and was another shot down in a tie for sixth with Phil Mickelson, who had a 68, Pat Perez of San Diego, who totaled 67, and Patrick Reed, who finished at 66.
Bill Haas, the 2011 FedExCup champion, recorded a 65 and wound up seven shots behind in a tie for 10th with Justin Rose of England, who came in at 68.
Top-ranked Dustin Johnson, who beat Spieth in a playoff last week in The Northern Trust, struggled home with a 73 to tie for 18th and slipped from first to third in the points.
