Ferguson column: Spieth, Thomas good friends, not yet rivals

NORTON, Mass. (AP) Justin Thomas is three months older than Jordan Spieth and trying to catch up.

It’s been that way for 10 years, ever since they met on the practice range before the final round of the Junior All-Star at Walnut Creek southwest of Dallas in the spring of 2007. They were 13 and tied for the lead after each opened with a 68 on the 6,385-yard course.

”I just remember he came up and introduced himself on the range because we were in the final group,” Thomas said. ”So I thought that was cool. And he beat me that day. I think I finished third, I don’t know, second. I didn’t play very well. That was the first time we met.”

It was a home game for Spieth, who grew up in Dallas. He made his American Junior Golf Association debut that week, shot 71 in the second round and won by five shots over Thomas and two others. Thomas, the son of a club pro in Kentucky, was so short back then he had to use a fairway metal to reach the longer par 4s.

”He traveled in and we battled it..

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Thomas adds 5th title to an already big year

NORTON, Massachusetts (AP) Justin Thomas had an answer for everyone in the Dell Technologies Championship with just about every club.

He could tell from the cheers that Jordan Spieth was off to a good start. A glance at the leaderboard indicated it was better than he imagined – birdie-eagle-birdie. And then Thomas stood on the fourth tee and saw for himself.

Spieth rolled in a 4-foot birdie putt to go 5 under through four holes of the final round at the TPC Boston.

Concerned his driver would get up in the air and sail into trouble, Thomas hit a bullet with hopes it would roll into the bunker. It was better than that, flying fast into the shaggy collar atop the steep bunker and onto the fringe, where he rolled in a 30-foot eagle putt.

”That was a definitely a bonus,” Thomas said.

The game was on. That eagle allowed him to catch Spieth and Marc Leishman, and Thomas didn’t have to do much more on Monday.

Leishman faltered early on the back nine. Spieth lost his way in the midd..

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