Viktor Hovland fires seven birdies in last nine holes for 61 to grab BMW Championship title
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Norway's Viktor Hovland reacts after making birdie on the 18th green during the final round of the BMW Championship.
PHOTO: AFP
CHICAGO – The FedEx Cup play-offs have featured some incredible moments since their inception in 2007, and Viktor Hovland added his name to that lore.
The Norwegian ripped through the back nine of Olympia Fields Country Club with seven birdies to post a nine-under 61 and win the BMW Championship on Sunday. His career-low round on the PGA Tour also broke the course record of 62 that Max Homa and Sam Burns set earlier in the week.
Hovland started the day three strokes behind co-leaders Scottie Scheffler and Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick, then catapulted past them to finish on 17-under 263. The pair had 66s to tie for second on 265.
“Definitely has to be the best round I’ve ever played,” he said. “Given the circumstances, a play-off event at this golf course, and finish the way that I did the last nine holes was pretty special.”
It was Hovland’s second victory of the season, the other coming at the Memorial Tournament, a designated event. Both victories earned him a US$3.6 million (S$4.9 million) winner’s cheque.
“I wouldn’t say making seven birdies on the back nine is trying to play more conservative going into the greens,” he said. “It just kind of worked out that way.
“It was more of a mindset thing. Instead of, ‘Oh my god, I’ve got a chance to win, I need to birdie this hole and this hole to have a chance’, it was more ‘what’s the right decision right here right now?’ and then commit to it.”
Scheffler will begin this week’s Tour Championship with a two-shot advantage after finishing as No. 1 in the FedEx Cup points standings. Hovland jumped to No. 2 while Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (66 to end fourth on 268) will start No. 3 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
“I was just kind of trying to stay in my own little world,” world No. 1 Scheffler said. “I know (Hovland) was getting going. I didn’t know what Viktor started at, but I knew he was playing really well.
“I was just trying to do my best to keep pushing forward. I didn’t birdie 15, and then missed a birdie putt on 16 and bogeyed 17, obviously took me out of it.”
The event was also the final one in US qualifying for September’s Ryder Cup and the first six spots were decided on points as Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Homa and Xander Schauffele made the squad.
LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka, the PGA Championship winner ineligible for PGA Tour events, had been in the top six.
But he was nudged out of an automatic qualifier spot by Homa and Schauffele and will need a captain’s pick to make the squad.
Koepka is part of an “at-large” group that includes Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Cameron Young, Keegan Bradley, Burns, Tony Finau and Justin Thomas.
US captain Zach Johnson will reveal his six picks on Aug 29 to complete the squad that will defend the trophy against Europe in Italy. REUTERS, AFP
