OLYMPIA FIELDS, In poor health. — Viktor Hovland delivered the most efficient spherical of his profession on the proper month, making birdie on all however two holes at the again 9 Sunday for a 9-under 61 to fracture the path document at Olympia Grounds and hurricane pace Scottie Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick to win the BMW Championship.
What gave the look to be a two-man race between Scheffler and Fitzpatrick was a one-man display via Hovland. He headed to the again 9 4 pictures at the back of. Finally, Scheffler and Fitzpatrick needed to hollow out from the green to catch him.
Each closed with a 66, a ranking that typically could be enough quantity to win on a presen like this. They needed to accept runner-up to Hovland, who received for the second one month this while and not appeared higher doing it.
Hovland simplest had one putt longer than 15 ft at the again 9. He closed with birdies at the seventeenth and 18th, the 2 toughest holes, completing with an method over the bunker to six ft at the 18th for one ultimate birdie.
“That has to be the best round I’ve ever played,” Hovland stated. “Given the circumstances — a playoff event, this golf course — the way I played the last holes was pretty special.”
Seems the drama got here from in all places else.
Jordan Spieth bogeyed his ultimate two holes for a 71 and used to be at the verge of falling out of the manage 30 within the FedEx Cup who form it to East Pool upcoming while for the Excursion Championship. However later Denny McCarthy made 3 bogeys over his ultimate seven holes to fall out.
The most harsh of all used to be Sahith Theegala. He ran off 3 instantly birdies during the seventeenth hollow and used to be projected to be within the manage 30. However he took bogey at the ultimate hollow, generation Patrick Cantlay in his team made birdie. They secured for fifteenth, and that bogey-birdie mixture used to be enough quantity to finish Theegala’s season.
Sepp Straka wound up getting the thirtieth spot via 9 issues over Theegala.
Xander Schauffele did enough quantity proper in his spherical of 68 to fasten for 8th, incomes enough quantity cash to narrowly earn the 6th and ultimate automated spot at the U.S. Ryder Cup group. Schauffele used to be positive to get one of the crucial six captain’s alternatives, however his end moved PGA champion Brooks Koepka from Negative. 5 to Negative. 7 within the Ryder Cup standings.
U.S. captain Zach Johnson makes his six alternatives in 9 days.
Scheffler had six birdies and not fell out of the manage till past due within the presen, although he used to be haunted via 3 putts from 6 ft or nearer than he ignored over the overall 8 holes.
The sector’s Negative. 1 participant ignored a 6-foot birdie putt at the par-3 sixteenth that may have secured him with Hovland. At the upcoming hollow, Scheffler’s 20-foot birdie putt ran 4 1/2 ft via the outlet, and he ignored the par putt to fall two pictures at the back of.
For the entire probabilities, Fitzpatrick used to be the one participant who labored his manner into the manage 30 who head to Atlanta for the FedEx Cup finale. He began at Negative. 40 and moved as much as Negative. 10.
“Can’t do anything about 61. I did just see Viktor — I called him a little s—,” Fitzpatrick stated with a smile. “But for me, just really pleased again that I played really well, final round in contention with world No. 1, and I didn’t lose it. Someone else came from behind and won it.”
Scheffler, in a mini comfort, is the Negative. 1 seed at East Pool for the second one instantly while. That implies he begins the event at 10-under par, two pictures forward of Hovland.
Rory McIlroy, who shot 66 and completed fourth on the BMW Championship, is the Negative. 3 seed, adopted via Jon Rahm and Lucas Glover.
