Scottie Scheffler was the best golfer in the world heading into the Tour Championship in Atlanta and the final of the FedExCup. Staked with a 10-under lead at the start of the tournament, it seemed unlikely anyone could better him. But thankfully no one told that to Viktor Hovland. The No. 5-ranked golfer in the world, Hovland shot 19-under, with an 8-shot benefit from the FedExCup starting strokes format that seeds the players coming into the tournament.
Hovland shot 7-under on Sunday to finish five shots ahead of Xander Schauffele for the title. His peers praised Hovland, who shot 17-under in the last three rounds.
“He’s one of the best drivers of the golf ball in the world,” said Rory McIlroy, who finished 4th. “I think as we all know he’s improved around the greens this year. That’s been the difference from being a top-10 player in the world to what he’s done this year. Winning at Memorial, winning last week, having a chance at Oak Hill. So, yeah, look, hell of a player. He works incredibly hard. Nothing but respect for how he goes about his business. True professional.”
Hovland’s Year
The win at the Tour Championship in Atlanta was Hovland’s third of the year, which also included a second at the PGA Championship in May. He won the BMW Championship, the second week of the FedExCup, as well as the Memorial in June.
What’s Next
Hovland, from Norway, will be one of the key players on the European Ryder Cup team, alongside the likes of McIlroy and Jon Rahm when the event is played at the end of September in Rome. Hovland said he’s excited about representing Norway in the event: “Very pumped,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a really, really cool tournament this time around. It was I think still — it’s one of my favorite moments of all time just playing at Whistling Straights last time, but I think it can only go up from there this time around. So I’m super excited.”
Who Else Was In The Mix
Rory McIlroy
Nursing a back injury that improved as the week went on, McIlroy shot a final round 65 to move four spots up the leaderboard. “Then felt I could actually tee the driver up a bit today and hit a couple of tee shots in the air,” he said. “Felt like I could cover the ball more with my irons. So, just excited that I’m feeling better. So that’s good, going into the next few weeks, and nice to sign off with a good score.”
Xander Schauffele
Shooting 8-under in the final round and still not winning has to frustrate Schauffele who knocked on the door repeatedly this year, but didn’t record a win. “I’ll hold my head up high,” he said. “It was the most fun I had losing in quite some time. It’s such a weird feeling. I shot 62. I lost by five.”
Viktor Hovland: What’s in the bag
Driver: PING G425 LST 9 degrees
Fairway: 3-wood TaylorMade Stealth Plus (15 degrees)
Fairway: 5-wood PING G430 Max (20.5 degrees)
Irons: Titleist U510 Driving Iron, 20 degrees; PING i210 Irons (4-PW)
Wedges: PING Glide (50-56-58)
Putter: PING PLD DS 72
Ball: Titleist Pro V1