Viktor Hovland cards 61 to grab BMW Championship title

The FedExCup playoffs have featured some incredible moments since their inception in 2007, and Viktor Hovland added his name to that lore.

Hovland ripped through the back nine of Olympia Fields (Illinois) Country Club to post a final-round, 9-under-par 61 and win the BMW Championship on Sunday.

The Norwegian holed seven birdies on the back nine to come home in
7-under 28. His career-low round on the PGA Tour also broke the course record of 62 that Max Homa and Sam Burns shot 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 at
17-under 263 for the week.

“Definitely has to be the best round I’ve ever played,” Hovland said. “Given the circumstances, playoff event at this golf course, and finish the way that I did the last nine holes was pretty special.”

Though the final round began as a duel between Scheffler and Fitzpatrick, the duo shot matching rounds of 66 to tie for second at 15 under.

The good news for Scheffler: he will begin next week’s Tour Championship with a two-shot advantage after finishing the week No 1 in the FedExCup points standings. Hovland is projected to jump from No 7 to No 2. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy — who also shot 66 on Sunday and finished fourth at 12 under — will start No 3 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

Hovland had three birdies and a single bogey on the front nine and was still far behind Scheffler and Fitzpatrick before his remarkable finish.

His irons and wedges were dialled in, leaving only one of his seven successful birdie putts on the back nine to be longer than 10 feet; he had a 3-footer at No 10, less than 5 feet at No 12 and a tap-in at No 14.

Hovland hit a nine-iron into the 17th green and tied Scheffler at 16 under with the ensuing 9-footer for birdie. At the par-4 18th hole, Hovland nearly hit the flagstick with his pitching-wedge approach and sank a 6½-foot putt to head to the clubhouse with sole possession of the lead.

Scheffler then three-putted for a bogey at the par-4 17th to make it a two-shot margin with time running out.

“I was just kind of trying to stay in my own little world,” 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, which kind of took me out of it.”

Hovland didn’t think about his chances to win until birdieing the 15th hole. “I just kind of kept on focusing shot for shot and got closer to Fitzy and Scottie and just kept pouring it on, and now we’re here,” Hovland said.

It was Hovland’s second victory of the season, the other coming at the Memorial Tournament, a designated event. Both victories earned Hovland a $3.6m winner’s cheque.

“My short game has got a lot better, and I think I’ve driven it the best I’ve ever driven it in any other season,” Hovland said.

Fitzpatrick polished off a consistent week (66-67-66-66) with six birdies and two bogeys in his final round. Though he came up shy of the win, his performance vaulted him from No 40 to No 10 in the FedExCup standings, clinching himself a tee time at the Tour Championship.

“Can’t do anything about 61. I did just see Viktor, I called him a little [expletive],” Fitzpatrick joked.

Field Level Media