Stenson runs away with FedEx Cup

Henrik Stenson capped off the best stretch of his career Sunday with the biggest payoff in golf.

Stenson held off a brief challenge by 20-year-old Jordan Spieth and closed with a 2-under 68 to win the Tour Championship in Atlanta by three shots over Spieth and Steve Stricker.

The 37-year-old Swede also captured the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus. Stenson earned $1.44 million for winning the tournament.

Stenson, who two years ago was outside the top 200, moved to No. 4 in the world.

Spieth left one lasting impression on his remarkable rookie season. The youngest player in Tour Championship history ran off four straight birdies on the back nine at East Lake and pulled within one shot of Stenson with his 10-footer on the 16th.

Spieth caught a buried lie in the bunker short of the 17th green and made bogey, while Stenson steadied himself with an 8-foot birdie on the par-5 15th to return his lead to three shots. Stenson only made it easy at the end with three pars – nearly holing out from the bunker right of the 16th green, hitting a scary shot from the right fairway bunker on the 17th to the middle of the green, and saving par from another bunker on the 18th.

Spieth closed with a 64, while Stricker had a 65.

Stenson, who finished at 13-under 267, became the first European to win the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup.

Tiger Woods, the No. 1 seed going into the Tour Championship, never recovered from his 73-71 start. He closed with a 67 to tie for 22nd, his worst finish ever at East Lake, and wound up second in the FedEx Cup. That still was worth a $3 million bonus.

Woods wrapped up the PGA of America’s points-based award for player of the year, and he captured the PGA Tour money title and the Vardon Trophy for the lowest adjusted scoring title.

Champions Tour

Mark Wiebe birdied the 18th hole to force a playoff and beat Corey Pavin on the second extra hole to win the Pacific Links Hawaii Championship.

Wiebe made a clutch par putt on the second playoff hole before Pavin missed a putt from inside 10 feet that would have forced play to continue.

Both Wiebe and Pavin finished regulation at 11-under 205.

Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett shot a final-round 69 to tie for sixth place at 208.

Three-time major champion Vijay Singh, playing his first event on the Champions Tour, struggled to a 73 in the final round after starting the day one shot off the lead. Singh finished in a tie for sixth at 8 under.

PGA Cup

At Hexham, England, Dan Greenwood of England holed a 5-foot par putt on the 18th hole as Great Britain & Ireland rallied in singles to end the PGA Cup in a tie. The trophy still goes home with the Americans because they were the defending champions.

Greenwood’s putt gave him a 1-up win over Matt Dobyns.

GB&I trailed by five points going into the final day.

The Americans still have a 17-5-4 record in the PGA Cup.