Thomas wins Boston for 5th title of the season

Thomas wins Boston for 5th title of the season

NORTON, Mass. (AP) — Justin Thomas added another big title to a season filled with big moments by outlasting Jordan Spieth and Marc Leishman on the back nine of the TPC Boston to win the Dell Technologies Championship.

Two shots behind at the turn, Thomas surged ahead with a short birdie and a 6-foot par save while limiting the mistakes that cost his challengers. He closed with a 5-under 66 for a three-shot victory that was much tighter than the margin suggested.

Spieth wasted a start that riled up the Labor Day crowd — birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie — with too many mistakes on the back nine. He fell out of a share of the lead by missing the 14th green with a 5-iron from the fairway. Needing an eagle on the par-5 18th to stay in the game, he pushed a 4-iron into a tough lie in the bunker, blasted over the green and closed with a bogey for a 67.

Spieth was runner-up for the second straight week in the FedEx Cup playoffs, though that was enough to move up to No. 1 in the standings with one more event before the $10 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.

For the 24-year-old Thomas, his breakthrough season just keeps getting better.

He won for the fifth time this season, including the PGA Championship for his first major. This one might make him a shoo-in for PGA Tour player…