Jordan Spieth makes it a $22-million year with Tour Championship win

At age 22, Jordan Spieth became the first $22 million man in golf Sunday.

Spieth capped off a dream season when he poured in putts from all over East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta and closed with a one-under-par 69 for a four-shot victory in the Tour Championship. That was all he needed to become the youngest player to capture the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus.

His fifth victory of the year, including two majors, was worth $1,485,000 and allowed the Texan to set a PGA Tour record with $12,030,465. And if that wasn’t enough, Spieth went back to No. 1 in the world.

His battle with Henrik Stenson long over, Spieth finished it off in fitting fashion. He made an eight-foot par putt that was never going anywhere but right in the heart.

“This is one I cannot wait to celebrate,” Spieth said.

The first person to greet him was his little sister, Ellie, who keeps him so grounded. His parents, girlfriend, grandfather and high school friends from Dallas were at East Lake to watch another amazing performance in a year filled with them.

Stenson couldn’t do much about it.

On two holes around the turn with the Swede in tight for a certain birdie, Spieth matched him with a 20-foot birdie on the par-five ninth and a 45-foot birdie on the par-three 11th. At that point, Stenson just stared at Spieth with a wry smile and patted him on the back.

“It’s been a phenomenal year for him,” Stenson said after a 72 to tie for second. “I watched it firsthand at the first two rounds at Augusta, and he played phenomenal and putted phenomenal. And it was the same putting display, really, today — just an exhibition on the greens, to be honest.

“His putting and mental focus is the best in the world. It’s hard to argue that.”

And there’s no longer an argument for PGA Tour player of the year.

Jason Day had five victories, including his first major at the PGA Championship, and there was talk a sixth win and the FedEx Cup might put the Australian in the discussion. Not anymore. Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open, missed a playoff by one shot at the British Open in his spirited run for the Grand Slam and was runner-up at the PGA.

Along with winning the money list, Spieth won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest adjusted scoring average.

Stenson made a $1 million putt of his own, though it was the least he could do. He was three shots behind when he shanked his shot from the 17th fairway and made double bogey. That dropped him into a four-way tie for fourth and moved him to No. 3 in the FedEx Cup. But he bounced back with a 60-foot birdie putt on the last hole to tie for second and finish No. 2 in the FedEx Cup for a $3-million bonus (instead of $2 million).

Danny Lee, who carded a 65, and Justin Rose, who shot 66, joined Stenson in second place. For Stenson, it was his third runner-up finish in the FedEx Cup playoffs, and his fifth runner-up finish this year without a victory. He still has more events left on the European Tour.

Jaidee shoots a 67 to win European Open

Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand shot a bogey-free 67 to win the European Open by one shot at Bad Griesbach, Germany.

Jaidee, the overnight leader, had four birdies to add to his rounds of 68, 68 and 64 for a 17-under 267 on the Bad Griesbach course in southeastern Germany.

Graeme Storm of England had five birdies in his round of 67 to finish second with a 16 under score of 268.

Pelle Edberg of Sweden was third at 14 under after a mixed round of 69 with four bogeys and six birdies. Veteran golfer Bernhard Langer carded a 69 to finish as the highest placed German at eight under.

Loupe win Web.com tournament

Andrew Loupe won the Web.com Tour Finals’ Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship in Columbus, Ohio, to earn a PGA Tour card.

Loupe closed with a one-under 70 for a two-stroke victory. The 26-year-old former LSU player finished at five-under 279 on Ohio State’s difficult Scarlet Course and earned $180,000 to jump from 30th to third on the series money list with $190,642.

Loupe finished 198th in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings to drop into the four-event series for the top 75 players from the Web.com Tour money list, Nos. 126-200 in the FedEx Cup standings and non-members who earned enough money to have placed in the top 200 had they been eligible to receive points.

The top 25 players on Web.com Tour regular-season money list earned PGA Tour cards. They are competing against each other for tour priority, with regular-season earnings counting in their totals. The other players are fighting for another 25 cards based on series earnings.