With his FedExCup fate out of his hands, Justin Thomas flew home to South Florida on Sunday and awaited the outcome.
“I don’t have to sit here and stress about this all afternoon,” he said.
It turned out to be a smart move: Thomas advanced to the Tour Championship by the narrowest of margins.
A year after failing to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in his career, Thomas was the last man to step onto the court for East Lake. At least he doesn’t need to look far for a good omen: Keegan Bradley just won the BMW Championship after being the 50th.He and last player on the field.
Tour Championship 2024: Where players will start with tiered scoring
This is where players will begin the Tour Championship using the ladder scoring format.
Bradley was one of four players to finish outside the top 30 and end up qualifying for the season finale, joining Adam Scott (No. 14), Tommy Fleetwood (No. 22) and Chris Kirk (No. 26).
Scott tied for second at Castle Pines, while Fleetwood and Kirk both finished inside the top 10 at the penultimate event of the season.
“I think getting to East Lake is an incredible achievement,” Fleetwood said, “and it’s the place you aspire to be. It’s going to be a fantastic end to the PGA season. I’m looking forward to playing next week and trying to make the most of it.”
Thomas had a bit of drama at the end just to secure the final spot on the leaderboard, coming home in 33 and holing a 6-foot par putt on his final hole of the day.
“I feel like I did something on my part,” he said. “Now, I hope everything turns out well.”
He did it, barely, and now he’ll head north to Atlanta, where he’ll start the Tour Championship 10 shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler.
In corresponding moves, Brian Harman (No. 31), Jason Day (No. 33), Davis Thompson (No. 34) and Denny McCarthy (No. 35) all saw their seasons end a week early.
As usual, the race for the top 30 (which allows players to compete for a $100 million bonus pool next week, as well as guaranteeing access to at least three of the four major tournaments next year) caused some strong emotions on the final day.
Harman made double bogey on the final hole after making four birdies late to get back inside the cut line. Alex Noren was still comfortably within the number when he made three consecutive bogeys to finish with a final-round 75. Jason Day ruined his bid for East Lake with a triple-bogey and double-bogey streak on holes 14 and 15 on Sunday.
“It was tough. It was difficult,” Noren said. “I didn’t make the shots I needed to.”
