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GREENSBORO -- Just moments after finishing a round that won him the American Junior Golf Association's FootJoy Invitational on Friday at Sedgefield Country Club, Justin Thomas was on the phone calling his dad.

"He was pretty excited," Thomas said. "I don't think he said many words. I think there was just a lot of high-pitched talking."

But his father, Mike, did make one thing clear: He'll be caddying for his son when they come back to Sedgefield in August for the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship.

On a day when the leaders failed to post more red numbers, it was Thomas who leapfrogged up the board with a 3-under-par 67 to win the prestigious junior event by two strokes and claim the sponsor's exemption into the professional event that comes with it.

"Like my dad always tells me, I have the talent to play with everyone out here. I've just got to believe that I do," said Thomas, who added the win still hadn't really hit him yet.

That talent earned him seven birdies during Friday's round and completed a comeback from an opening-round 2-over 72. He finished 72-66-67-67 for a 72-hole total of 8-under 272.

But there was plenty of drama to the victory.

Jordan Spieth and Ian McConnell started the day as the leaders at 8-under, but they quickly came back to the field, thanks to a slew of bogeys on the front nine.

Richard Werenski, the third member of the final group, took advantage of that with three early birdies to go on top at 9-under. Meanwhile, Thomas and Anthony Paolucci, who both started at 5-under, reached the turn at 7- and 8-under, respectively.

"When you're out there, you've just got to keep focus, grinding," Paolucci said.

But while Paolucci double-bogeyed No. 12 to effectively seal his fate, Thomas, playing in the second-to-last group, made his move on the back nine.

He bogeyed the 11th hole when his drive found a divot and some mud, but that unlucky break was neutralized when he cut an 8-iron to four feet on No. 14 to get back to 7-under.

After a birdie at the par-5 15th and an up-and-down par at the 16th, Thomas found himself tied with Werenski at 8-under. Two strokes on the 17th put him 12 feet from the pin, and the right-to-left putt found the hole for a huge birdie to seize control at 9-under.

"I mean I was nervous, but I just felt like I knew that putt was going in," Thomas said.

The long par-4 18th was a different story, though, as Thomas was "nervous as I've ever been -- times about fifteen."

His approach was short of the green, and so was his ensuing pitch shot. But he finally steadied himself and chipped to within 2 feet for a bogey that held up just fine when neither Werenski, who finished bogey-triple bogey, nor playing partner Tom Lovelady could birdie to tie him.

"I tried to give it up on 18 but ended up getting it, so it feels great," said Thomas, a rising high school junior from Goshen, Ky. "It's obviously the biggest accomplishment of my life when it comes to golf."

Thomas claimed the large trophy, but Huntersville native Logan Harrell did take home some hardware by shooting a 1-under 69 to finish in ninth place.

"This is probably my favorite event, just because it's so close to home and everything," Harrell said.

Still, the story of the day was the superb round that will let Thomas tee it up alongside the pros come August -- with his dad right beside him.

"It's just such a neat thing," he said, "that not only do you win the tournament, but you get an exemption to a tour event. It really doesn't get much better."

Contact Jesse Baumgartner at 373-7091 or jesse. baumgartner @news-record.com