GREENSBORO, N.C. — Lucas Glover did greater than prolong his PGA Tour season Sunday. He gained the Wyndham Championship with a 2-under 68 that sends him into the FedEx Cup playoffs with extra large alternatives in entrance of him.
Glover managed a two-hour rain delay and took benefit of a faltering Russell Henley to win for the primary time in additional than two years and earn an unlikely spot within the profitable postseason.
Justin Thomas ended his season with a shot he will not quickly overlook. Needing a birdie on the 18th gap, his pitch from 100 ft in need of the opening smacked off the bottom of the pin and settled inches away as Thomas fell to the bottom in disbelief.
Now he has to attend three weeks to see if his worst season — that is the primary time Thomas has did not make the playoffs — will price him a choose for the U.S. Ryder Cup workforce.
Glover now has 5 PGA Tour wins separated by 18 years, and there may not have been one other aside from deciding to modify to a protracted putter, a transfer impressed by Adam Scott. He had been battling the yips, and he made each essential putt at Sedgefield Nation Membership.
The Wyndham Championship is the ultimate match earlier than the highest 70 qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs that begin subsequent week in Memphis, Tennessee. Glover was at No. 112, a protracted shot who wanted nothing in need of a runner-up end.
He did one higher, pulling away after the rain delay with loads of assist from Henley.
It was the second time in three years that Henley let one get away at Sedgefield. When play resumed, he took the lead with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 fifteenth, after which every thing went unsuitable in a bogey-bogey-bogey end.
His mediocre tee shot on the par-3 sixteenth got here down the slope on the entrance of the inexperienced and took yet another flip right into a deep divot gap. He chopped that out to 35 ft and made bogey. He despatched his tee shot on the seventeenth into the bushes, and his subsequent shot buried in a deep gap in thick tough. He needed to scramble for bogey.
After which on the closing gap, his strategy from the green got here up brief and rolled off the inexperienced. He pitched to 18 ft and two-putted. He had gone 21 straight holes with out a bogey and completed with three straight for a 69.
Two years in the past, he had 4 bogeys during the last eight holes and missed a playoff by 1 shot.
“Simply by no means received snug, felt slightly jittery on the market, simply by no means received into an excellent sync with my swing,” Henley mentioned. “Simply did not do an excellent job of dealing with the restart.”
Henley tied for second with Byeong Hun An (67). Billy Horschel, who shared the 54-hole lead with Glover, did not make a birdie till the ultimate gap. He shot 72 and completed alone in fourth.
Glover by no means appreciated the thought of the PGA Tour dropping the quantity from 125 to 70 gamers who advance to the playoffs. Now he is No. 49 with the victory, and if he can keep within the prime 50 after subsequent week, the 43-year-old will probably be eligible for all of the signature $20 million occasions in 2024.
Successful is what mattered extra, particularly having his two youngsters, Lucille and Lucas Jr., come out to the inexperienced. “Daddy, you gained!” the son mentioned. His daughter was in tears.
“I am too previous to be on the highway this a lot,” Glover mentioned. “I have been busting my hump to be with them, be with my spouse. I am so completely satisfied.”
Thomas made a 15-foot eagle putt on the fifteenth gap, solely to catch a robust gust as storms have been transferring in on the par-3 sixteenth, sending his ball down the hill and resulting in bogey. He in large hassle on the 18th when he pulled his tee shot onto the pine straw, blocked by bushes. However he hit a tough hook, twisting his physique 180 levels on affect, simply in need of the inexperienced.
The pitch took just a few hops and regarded like it will disappear into the opening till the bottom of the pin saved it out. He needed to accept a 68 and a protracted three weeks of ready.
Zach Johnson will get six captain’s picks, and the query is whether or not Thomas has carried out sufficient in his two earlier Ryder Cup appearances — or confirmed sufficient in a single week — to benefit a choose.
The seventieth and ultimate spot went to Ben Griffin, who missed the minimize. He completed 9 factors forward of Thomas. Scott closed with a 63 and missed the postseason for the primary time for the reason that FedEx Cup started in 2007.
That leaves Matt Kuchar as the one participant eligible for the playoffs yearly since 2007.
