Viktor Hovland shines amid struggling field at East Lake

ATLANTA – The sun had set and East Lake Golf Club was ensconced in darkness when Viktor Hovland completed his final interviews Saturday. He was headed for the cold-plunge tub after he finished his obligations, a crucial part of the post-round recovery process.

Hovland needed something to cool him off.

The winner of last week’s BMW Championship is now running away with the TOUR Championship as he seeks his first FedExCup. Hovland will take a six-shot lead into the final round of the FedExCup finale.

“To win the FedExCup is pretty cool,” he said. “That's where all the tournaments we play earlier in the year leads to.”

Hovland has displayed a well-rounded game all season and saved his best for last.

A win this week would be his third in his last eight starts. His final-round 61 at the BMW was arguably the round of the year and one of the best final rounds in recent memory.

On the most difficult day of this week, he shot 66 to pull away from his closest pursuers. Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler combined to make just two birdies Saturday and both shot 73. Morikawa had set East Lake’s 36-hole scoring record to vault from nine back and into a share of the halfway lead. Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player, began the day in third place, two behind the pair.

Now only three players are fewer than nine shots back.

Hovland’s closest pursuer is now Xander Schauffele, who stands at 14 under par with the FedExCup Starting Strokes. Schauffele won the 2017 TOUR Championship and has finished in the top five of the FedExCup in five of the past six seasons, including a pair of runners-up (2019, ’20). He is seeking his first victory in the TOUR’s season-long points race.

Hovland is tied with Morikawa for the lowest 54-hole score this week, 12-under 198, while Schauffele has taken 199 strokes. Their FedExCup Starting Strokes represent the difference on the leaderboard. Because Hovland entered this week ranked second in the FedExCup, he started play Thursday at 8 under par. Schauffele was 2 under, while Morikawa was 1 under. Morikawa is tied for third place at 13 under par with Keegan Bradley.

Hovland vaulted into second in the FedExCup with his win at the BMW Championship, where he shot closed with that 61 on a former U.S. Open venue, Olympia Fields. He shot 28 on the back nine Sunday. It was his second victory of the season after a win in June at Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. That’s another event where ballstriking is a premium.

At East Lake, it’s especially important because it is difficult to get approach shots close out of the bermudagrass rough. But those who find the fairways have plenty of birdie opportunities.

A six-shot lead is not unassailable – Scottie Scheffler lost one in the final round of the 2022 TOUR Championship, and Morikawa did the same at this year’s Sentry Tournament of Champions – but no one has ever lost a larger one. In the past 50 years, there have been just seven players who failed to win after taking a six-shot win into the final round.

Hovland’s robotic ballstriking makes the final round feel like a formality. Schauffele shot 68 on Saturday, but when asked to describe his round, he could only say, “Not good enough.”

“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.”

“He's just playing unbelievable golf. He's been working really hard. I saw him working hard through the playoffs there. I was out late and he was one of the guys I always saw until dark as well.”

Hovland leads the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, Driving Accuracy, Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green and Average Proximity to the Hole. His two bogeys this week are the fewest in the field. His well-publicized improvements to his short game have made him tough to beat, as his biggest weakness is now a strength. His two bogeys this week are the fewest in the field.

“I feel like I've just become a little bit more complete, and I don't have to hit it my best to be in contention,” Hovland said. “I don't have to hit every shot pure. I can miss it slightly and get up-and-down and move on.”

It’s shown in some of the game’s biggest events – he finished in the top 20 in all four majors this year, including a T7 at the Masters and runner-up at the PGA Championship. And now he’s been the best player at the FedExCup finale, separating himself from a field comprised of the top 30 players this season

Hovland made two birdies on his first 11 holes of the day, but because of the struggles of Scheffler and Morikawa, it was enough to build a four-shot advantage. That’s when lightning caused a one-hour delay. Hovland birdied his first two holes after the delay, as well. He bogeyed the 14th but immediately birdied the island-green 15th.

He could have pulled even farther ahead but he missed birdie putts of 11 feet or shorter on the final three holes. Even after those misses, Hovland has control entering the final round at East Lake.

“The list of names that's been on that trophy is pretty special,” Hovland said of the FedExCup. “Obviously it's … not a marathon, but it feels more like a sprint.”

In this race, Hovland will be tough to catch.