ATLANTA — By the time Xander Schauffele hit his final drive on Sunday, the Tour Championship was a wet blanket that had been wrung dry.

With four golfers still on the course at East Lake Golf Club, Justin Thomas had already sealed the season-long FedEx Cup championship and, presumably, Player of the Year honors. Thomas, who started in the group directly ahead of Schauffele, closed with a four-under-par 66 — after his 24-foot birdie bid, which would have given him a 65, slid by the edge of the cup on the 18th hole.

“It was a weird feeling,” said Thomas, who finished second in the tournament with a 72-hole score of 11-under 269. He looked unsure how to react after his final shot, so he sort of shrugged and hugged his caddie, Jimmy Johnson. Later, he added, “As soon as I finished I got asked what it was like to win the FedEx Cup. It is hard at first, because as a competitor you are mad that you didn’t win the tournament.”

When he finished, Thomas, 24, was tied for the tournament lead with Schauffele, 23, who had already locked up Rookie of the Year honors because his nearest challenger, Patrick Cantlay, was in the clubhouse with a score of even-par 280.