Keith Mitchell and Jordan Spieth were left with a sinking feeling after finding the water on the final few holes Sunday to dash any hopes they had of advancing in the FedEx Cup postseason.
After removing his shoes and socks and rolling up both pant legs, Mitchell stood in water up to his calves to play a shot from the bank left of the 18th fairway as he tried to give himself his best chance to make par or better to close the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
His shot, however, bounced short and took a hop to the left, riding the bank down into the water. Mitchell made bogey and he finished 51st in the points standings -- just 7.819 points short of reaching next week's BMW Championship, the second of the three FedEx Cup playoff events.
The top 50 in the points standings after Sunday's event were guaranteed to advance, as well as being assured entry into all of the $20 million signature events next year.
"I didn't look at the leaderboard all day," said Mitchell, who didn't have a birdie on the back nine at TPC Southwind on Sunday. "I had really no idea where I stood until walking off 17 green; 18 tee shot is tough. You've got to decide if you're, if I'm way in, I can just lay up out to the right and make 5 and be good, but I knew I was one back.
"We thought [the wind] was helping a little bit off the tee, so I absolutely strike my 3-wood. I thought it was perfect when I hit it. Caught a little bit of a gust, and it came up that short. The second shot was obviously interesting, and I just didn't play it far enough right and ended up making 5."
Spieth was 2-under for the day at the turn and had climbed as high as No. 45 in the point standings, but bogeys at Nos. 11 and 12 pushed him outside of the top 50. Another birdie at No. 13 gave him new life, and he reached No. 15 needing to close with four pars to reach the BMW Championship for the first time since 2023.
Spieth's drive on No. 15 found the water, however, and he bogeyed the hole.
His chip from behind the green on the par-5 16th was too strong and rolled off the green, and he missed a 15-foot birdie putt. He missed a birdie from about that distance on the 17th.
Needing a birdie on the 18th, he went from a patch of dirt right of the fairway just over the green, still a putter in hand from 35 feet. He started walking before the long birdie putt finished short of the cup, giving him a par for a final-round 70.
"I just didn't execute enough shots and ... a couple bounces could have gone one way or the other," said Speith, who finished 52nd in the point standings. "I needed to be almost flawless today.
"I just feel like I'm kind of getting back to playing really good golf, like it's close to kicking off, and I'm not going to play a tournament for a long time."
Brian Harman also had a chance to advance in the playoffs, but he was done in by a final-round 75 and finished 65th in the standings.
Maverick McNealy came in at No. 50 and was on the bubble all afternoon, played bogey-free on the back nine with two birdies for a 69 to tie for 19th -- same position as Spieth -- to secure his spot among the top 50.
McNealy figured he was out when he tied for 63rd in the 69-man field. He made it on the number when Mitchell and Spieth couldn't catch him.
"I think the top 50 number is probably the most important number on the PGA Tour right now," McNealy said. "I'm excited to get to St. Louis and just take a Hail Mary swing to see if I can get into the Tour Championship, which is the goal every year."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
