Justin Thomas came agonizingly close to making the FedEx Cup playoffs but ultimately fell just short on Sunday at the Wyndham Championship.
Thomas needed to finish solo 12th or better to qualify for the lucrative FedEx Cup playoffs, but a gut-wrenching chip shot on the final hole led to a bogey and knocked him out of contention.
He arrived at the par-4 18th hole tied for 12th at 10-under par. He hit his approach shot just off the green, leaving a tricky chip over a ridge for his third shot.
Thomas struck the chip perfectly, but the ball hit the pin and lip out, barely staying out of the cup. The miss led to a bogey and Thomas finished tied for 15th at 9-under, one shot shy of qualifying for the playoffs.
After the miss, a distraught Thomas fell to the ground in anguish. He remained there for several moments, devastated that his season was likely over due to one unfortunate bounce.
“It was a shot I thought I hit perfectly,” Thomas told reporters. “For it not to go in is a tough pill to swallow.”
The heartbreaking finish capped a frustrating season for Thomas. He failed to win a tournament this year and missed the cut at three of his last five events entering the Wyndham.
Though Thomas fell just short, his gritty performance down the stretch at least showed that his game may be turning a corner. He’ll have the offseason to regroup before aiming for a stronger campaign in 2024.
But for now, Thomas will have to dwell on a season-ending chip shot that hit the pin perfectly, but still wasn’t perfect enough.
