With his FedExCup fate no longer in his own hands, Justin Thomas flew back to South Florida on Sunday to await the results.

“I don’t need to sit here all afternoon and stress about this,” he said.

It turned out to be a wise decision: Thomas advanced to the Tour Championship by the smallest possible margin.

A year after failing to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in his career, Thomas was the last man out for East Lake. He certainly doesn’t have to look far for a good omen — Keegan Bradley just won the BMW Championship after finishing 50th^and and last player on the field.

Here players begin the Tour Championship using the tiered points system.

Bradley was one of four players who finished outside the top 30 but still qualified for the season finale, along with Adam Scott (No. 14), Tommy Fleetwood (No. 22) and Chris Kirk (No. 26).

Scott finished in a tie for second place at Castle Pines, while Fleetwood and Kirk both finished in the top 10 in the penultimate event of the season.

“I think getting to East Lake is a great accomplishment,” Fleetwood said, “and that’s a place you strive to be, and it’s going to be a fantastic end to the PGA season, and I’m looking forward to playing next week and making the most of it.”

Thomas had some drama at the end to secure the final qualifying spot, finishing in 33 and hitting a par of 6 feet on his final hole of the day.

“I feel like I’ve done my part,” he said. “Now I hope it works out.”

He succeeded, but only just, and now he heads north to Atlanta, where he begins the Tour Championship 10 strokes behind leader Scottie Scheffler.

In similar moves, Brian Harman (No. 31), Jason Day (No. 33), Davis Thompson (No. 34) and Denny McCarthy (No. 35) all saw their seasons end a week early.

As usual, the race for the top 30 – with players able to compete for a $100 million bonus pot next week and guaranteed entry to at least three of next year’s four majors – provided some excitement and excitement on the final day.

Harman double-bogeyed the final hole after making four late birdies to jump back inside the cut line. Alex Noren was still comfortably inside the number when he made three straight bogeys to complete a final-round 75. Jason Day ruined his East Lake bid with a triple-bogey-double-bogey stretch on Nos. 14 and 15 on Sunday.

“It was tough. It was tricky,” Noren said. “I didn’t hit the shots I needed to.”