By Canadian Press

Hovland shoots 66 for 6-shot lead at Tour Championship, closes in on FedEx Cup title

Aug 26, 2023 | 6:59 PM

ATLANTA (AP) — Viktor Hovland delivered another sterling performance, this time starting from the top that allowed him to pull away Saturday in the Tour Championship with a 4-under 66 that gave him a six-shot lead going into the final round of the PGA Tour season.

That leaves the Norwegian star 18 holes away from the $18 million bonus.

Hovland came into East Lake fresh off a 61 in the final round at Olympia Fields — 28 on the back nine — to rally for a victory in the BMW Championship.

He was tied with Collin Morikawa to start the sun-baked third round, with Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele all lined up behind him. No one could keep pace, especially after a 90-minute stoppage because of storms in the area.

Hovland, who started at 8-under par as the No. 2 seed, was at 20 under.

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Schauffele, who has never finished worse than seventh or shot worse than par in his seven years playing the Tour Championship, had a 68 and was at 14 under. All he could think about was a pair of four-foot putts he missed on the back nine — for par at No. 15, for birdie on the closing hole — knowing how much ground he had to make up.

“Not good enough,” Schauffele said about his round.

Morikawa didn’t make a birdie until the 16th hole in his round of 73, leaving him seven shots behind with Keegan Bradley, who had to birdie two of the last four holes for a 70.

Scheffler only started making putts — only one for birdie — late in his round of 73 that tied him with Rahm (71), leaving both nine shots behind and out of contention for the FedEx Cup title.

Hovland still has one round left, and last year was an example that no lead is safe. Scheffler started the final round with a six-shot lead over Rory McIlroy, only to shoot 73 as McIlroy rallied for a 66 to beat him by one.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is tied for 19th at 5 under — 15 shots behind Hovland. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is tied for 21st at 4 under.

“I know what I need to do,” Schauffele said. “I need to go out and try and put as much pressure on him tomorrow on that front nine as I can, and hope for the best.”

Hovland played bogey-free on the front nine as so many contenders were slowed by mistakes. 

Bradley had three bogeys in a four-hole stretch. Scheffler three-putted from 12 feet, missing his par putt from 30 inches on the par-5 sixth. Rahm drove into the water on No. 8 for a double bogey and didn’t make his first birdie until the 12th hole.

And then clouds began to appear on another day of extreme heat, leading to the 90-minute delay. When players returned, Hovland made a 10-foot birdie putt on the 12th and a 20-footer on the next hole.

At one point he stretched his lead to seven shots, and it looked as though that’s how he would end the day until he missed a seven-foot birdie putt as darkness fell on East Lake.

No matter. He is poised to win the FedEx Cup, with its $18 million bonus ($17 million in cash) and a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour. It also might be enough to at least merit consideration as PGA Tour player of the year, having also won the Memorial and a FedEx Cup playoff event.

U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark had only one bogey in his round of 68 that left him in the group with Scheffler and Rahm.

McIlroy, who started six shots behind, had three bogeys on the front nine and didn’t make a birdie over his last seven holes for a 71. He was 11 shots back.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press