The Crowning Achievement…
It was a perfect finish at this year’s BMW Championship for Justin Thomas, who held on to not only cinch the title but deliver some of the biggest shots, showing what the former number one player in the world is capable of.
Overcoming a wrist injury earlier this year and despite failing to finish in the top 10 of any major in 2019, Thomas hit the ground running at the Medinah Country Club near Chicago, setting the course record on Saturday at 61 and perfectly positioning himself for the win. That win came with a $1.665 million first-place prize and places Thomas among the elite list of 10-win golfers who also have a major.
Throughout the tournament, held this year in mid-August, Thomas exhibited patience — and a little bit of nerves — despite beginning with a six-shot lead. That lead eventually shrunk to two, which was when Thomas came through with two clutch wedge shots, two big putts and sailed to a 4-under 68 to secure a three-shot victory over Patrick Cantlay, who fought til the end with a 65.
“He put a lot of heat on me,” Thomas said. “In the end, it could have been good for me. It kept me focused.”
This victory followed last year’s at Firestone and moved Thomas to the top of the Fed EX Cup going into the Tour Championship, where he will start the tournament at 10-under par with a two-shot lead under the new scoring format as the final 30 players compete for the $15 million prize.
Cantlay secured the no. 2 position and will start at 8 under; followed by Brooks Koepka at 7 under. Defending champion Tiger Woods did not make the cut. In fact, Woods was a long shot going into the final round at Medinah to crack the top 30, closing with a 72.
“It was disappointing,” Woods conceded.
“Last year culminated in a pretty special moment for me
and would have been nice to go back there.”
Hideki Matsuyama took the 36-hole lead with a 63 until falling back with a 73. He responded with another 63 to finish alone in third, making him one of three players who moved into the top 30 to reach East Lake.
The Championship was void of drama and also included Thomas shutting off his phone en route to the course. He did converse with his caddie, mostly to get yardage from the rough because he didn’t hit a fairway until the fifth hole. Cantlay also got off to a slow start, with Thomas holding onto his six-shot lead through seven holes.
That security didn’t last long, though, with Cantlay making an 8-foot birdie on No. 7, followed with a 12-foot birdie on No. 8 and a 6-foot birdie on No. 9. Thomas then hit his second to the par-5 10th under a tree, having to use his left hand to get it out before making bogey. Cantlay made his fourth straight birdie, and the lead was down to two with only eight holes remaining.
This is when Thomas showed his stuff with a wedge to 2 feet for birdie. It was this shot that set the tone.
“The birdie on 11 was huge,” Thomas said.
“That propelled me for the rest of the round.”
Other highlights included his 12-foot par putt, eventually matching Cantlay from 12 feet with a birdie on the 13th hole.
In the end, Thomas finished at 25-under 263, seven shots lower than what Woods shot at Medinah when he won the 2006 PGA Championship.
Prize money payouts amounted to $9.25 million with everyone in the field taking home something. Top takers behind Thomas include Cantlay at $999,000; Matsuyama at $629,000 and Tony Finau in fourth place with $444,000.
As always, the championship featured the highest players in their class with experience that thrilled spectators throughout the entire tournament.
Considered one of the finest tournaments on the PGA Tour and part of the FedEX Cup, the BMW Championship is a professional golf tournament first introduced in 2007. Known in the past as the Western Open, it has been earned the title “Tournament of the Year” by the PGA Tour in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The BMW Championship is open to the top 70 PGA Tour golfers following the Northern Trust. With only 70 players in the field, there is no 36-hole cut. FedEX Cup points amassed during the regular PGA Tour season and then during the two preceding playoff events, determine the participants. The top 30 FedEx Cup points leaders following the BMW Championship advance the Tour Championship, where the FedEx Cup Champion will be determined.
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