Cantlay got a great bounce on the 17th hole that helped set up a short birdie and led to a two-under 69, just enough to pip fellow American Scott Stallings, who had also carded a 69.

A year ago, Cantlay made one clutch putt after another about an hour down the road at Caves Valley and beat Bryson DeChambeau after six extra holes. That gave him the top seed at the Tour Championship, which comes with a two-shot margin before the tournament starts, and he went on to win the FedExCup and its $US18 million prize with a one-shot win over Jon Rahm.

This time, Cantlay will go into the 30-man FedExCup finale as the No.2 seed, meaning he will start next week two shots behind Masters champion Scottie Scheffler.

But all that mattered on Sunday was winning at Wilmington Country Club, and he needed a little help.

He was tied for the lead on the 420-yard 17th hole when he decided to hit driver, and he feared it would get hung up in a series of bunkers down the right side.

Adam Scott and his caddie Gregory Hearmon celebrate the 72nd hole bunker shot that secured a Tour Championship start. PHOTO: Rob Carr/Getty Images.

But the ball landed short of the last bunker, took a big hop over the sand, and tumbled through the first cut and into the fairway just 64 yards from the hole, from where he set up his winning birdie.

"I hit a lot of solid and got a lot of good breaks," Cantlay said. "That break was something I was not expecting. It was big for me to take advantage of it."

Scheffler put on a late charge with three birdies in a four holes and was one shot behind. But he missed a 4-foot par putt on the final hole for a 70, and it looked like it might cost him.

Xander Schauffele, playing in the final group with Cantlay, had a 7-foot birdie putt. If he made it, Schauffele would have finished alone in third, moving Scheffler to fourth. That would have made Cantlay the top seed. But the putt slid by on the right. Schauffele had a 71.

Stallings has gone 238 starts since his last victory eight years ago at Torrey Pines, and he played like that drought might end. But he missed four birdie chances inside 18 feet at the end, the last one from just inside 10 feet.

"I hit a lot of solid and got a lot of good breaks. That break was something I was not expecting. It was big for me to take advantage of it." - Patrick Cantlay.

The consolation prize is his first trip to the Tour Championship.

Stallings wasn't alone. Australia's Adam Scott is making his way back to East Lake. He was at No. 77 in the FedExCup when the postseason started and a tie for fifth last week moved him to No. 45.

Scott made eagle on the 12th hole and hit some superb lag putts on firm, crispy greens at Wilmington for a 71 to tie for fifth.

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Needing a par on the last hole, Scott tugged his tee shot to the edge of a bunker, meaning he had to stand in the sand and try to hit out of a sticky first cut with the golf ball about thigh-high. He pulled that into a bunker, then hit a splendid shot to set up a tap-in par that tipped him into the Playoffs in 29th spot.

Aaron Wise had a 73 and earned the 30th spot. He was among four players who moved into the top 30 who are eligible for the Tour Championship. The others were Stallings, Scott, Aaron Wise and K.H. Lee, who had a 65 on Sunday to tie for fifth.