Justin Thomas cut from FedEx Cup playoffs after gut-wrenching chip just missed saving season

It looked like Justin Thomas had saved his season on the 18th hole at The Wyndham Championship on Sunday. His chip was caught clean on the tight grass just off the green, and after checking on the turf a couple of times, it rolled right to the hole. 

A birdie on that chip would save Thomas’s 2023 season, allowing him to make the FedEx Cup Playoffs after a rollercoaster tournament schedule that included multiple cuts from majors. 

But what looked like an incredible comeback turned into Thomas laying on his back in disbelief after the ball smacked off the pin, and instead of dropping in the cup, made a turn away for a tap-in par opportunity. 

Thomas couldn’t believe his eyes, nor could the crowd, which understood how much that shot meant to his season. When he finally got up, Thomas was understandably emotional, as he missed the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2014 – his rookie year on the PGA Tour. 

“Can use adversity as an opportunity to shy away from a challenge, or take it head on,” Thomas wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, after his final round. “Was a tough season for me, but I actually had fun battling it out and playing golf this week. It’s why we play. Beyond gutted to miss the playoffs, but I’m proud of how hard I fought #onward 

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It was a solid finish to his season despite missing out on the playoffs. Thomas finished T-12th at 11-under for the tournament. 

However, he was more focused on the 71st in points standings at the end of the day. The top 70 make the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and Ben Griffin was eight points ahead of Thomas, allowing him to be the final participant for the FedEx St. Jude Championship next week. 

“I did my part… I played the best I could and I fought as hard as I could and shot the lowest I possible could,” Thomas said after the round. “I just have to just hope that somehow it’s good enough.”

If anything, Thomas may be able to use this as fuel to enter the 2023-24 PGA Tour season with motivation to never miss the FedEx Cup Playoffs again. 

Until then, though, Thomas will likely be reflecting on this moment, and the others, where he missed opportunities to score lower on the course.