Monday 19 August 2019 08:12, UK
Justin Thomas will go into the Tour Championship top of the FedExCup standings after registering his first win of the season at the BMW Championship.
Thomas led throughout the final day at Medinah, recovering from a slow start to post a four-under 68 and finish three strokes clear of playing partner Patrick Cantlay.
The world No 10 finished the week on 25 under, breaking the tournament record for lowest 72-hole score, with both Thomas and Cantlay leapfrogging Brooks Koepka in the season-long standings heading into the season finale at East Lake.
Hideki Matsuyama fired a round-of-the-day 63 to grab third spot on 20 under, with Tony Finau a further two strokes off the pace in fourth and Jon Rahm sharing fifth with Brandt Snedeker.
Thomas started the day with a six-stroke lead but immediately gave a shot back after missing a seven-footer to save par at the first, as Cantlay cancelled out an opening-hole three-putt with a six-foot birdie at the next.
The American made a two-putt gain at the par-five fifth and almost pitched in from the rough at the seventh, leaving a tap-in birdie, leaving him four clear at the turn, while Cantlay posted three straight birdies from the seventh and Matsuyama carded a front-nine 31.
Thomas was inches away from going out of bounds over a fence with his approach into the par-five 10th, leaving him having to pitch out left-handed from a bush on his way to a bogey-six, as Cantlay converted from six feet to briefly reduce the lead to two.
A stunning approach from the rough set up a close-range birdie for Thomas at the next, with the world No 10 holing a 12-footer at the 13th to match Cantlay's birdie on the par-three.
Matsuyama stayed in contention after following back-to-back birdies from the 10th by nailing a 30-footer at the 14th and adding another from four feet at the next, only to see his hopes ended by a three-putt bogey at the 16th.
Cantlay missed an eight-foot birdie opportunity at the 14th and had to settle for a two-putt birdie at the next after driving the par-four green, as Thomas also made a three after electing to lay up.
A two-putt par at the 16th was enough to extend Thomas' lead to four when Cantlay failed to get up and down from the rough to save par, while Matsuyama holed a 15-footer at the last to get to 20 under.
Cantlay drained a 20-foot birdie at the 17th and converted from double the distance at the 18th to close out a seven-under 65, as Thomas rounded off his victory in style with a 15-foot birdie.
World No 1 Koepka dropped to third in the season-long standings after finishing tied-24th, with Rory McIlroy slipping from third to fifth after a final-round 71 left him in a share of 19th place.
Defending Tour Championship winner Tiger Woods joined fellow former FedExCup winners Billy Horschel and Jordan Spieth in failing to move inside the top 30 and qualify for the final event of the campaign, with Champion Golfer of the Year Shane Lowry and Phil Mickelson also unable to extend their seasons.
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