Tour Championship: Viktor Hovland holds off Xander Schauffele to assert dominant FedExCup victory

Viktor Hovland follows BMW Championship victory with five-shot win over Xander Schauffele at East Lake; Ryder Cup star ends the week on 27 underneath to register sixth PGA Tour title; Wyndham Clark 11 photographs again in third forward of Rory McIlroy

Viktor Hovland got here by a final-round tussle with Xander Schauffele to safe FedExCup glory and an $18million payday with a formidable victory on the season-ending Tour Championship.

Hovland took a six-shot lead into the ultimate spherical at East Lake and held at the very least a three-stroke benefit all through the ultimate day, though was made to work exhausting by Schauffele to register a sixth PGA Tour title and second in as many weeks.

The Norwegian carded seven birdies in a bogey-free 63 to finish the week on 27 underneath and develop into the third-youngest FedExCup champion in historical past, whereas Schauffele needed to accept second regardless of a surprising final-round 62.

Hovland shot seven birdies and no bogeys in a final-round 63

Hovland’s newest success follows his BMW Championship win on Sunday and is about to see him transfer to world No 4, whereas US Open champion Wyndham Clark grabbed third on 16 underneath and Rory McIlroy completed an extra two strokes again in fourth after a final-round 65.

Sunday shootout at East Lake

Schauffele got here into the ultimate day six strokes again and needed to gap a five-foot birdie on the first to keep away from falling additional behind, following Hovland rolling in from 15 toes, with the pair on the second gap when play was halted for practically two hours on account of storms.

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A confused Viktor Hovland is seen jogging throughout the course to make it to the primary tee after he made his solution to the previous first gap on the Tour Championship.

Hovland’s first shot after the restart was to gap a 15-footer to avoid wasting par, as Schauffele two-putted from the perimeter after which closed the hole to 5 when he made an eight-foot birdie on the third.

Schauffele transformed from 15 toes to match Hovland’s birdie on the fourth however was unable so as to add one other on the subsequent, the place his taking part in accomplice restored his six-shot cushion, with each then getting up and down from the sand to reap the benefits of the par-five sixth.

Schauffele’s final-round 62 was ok to earn him second place

Each gamers scrambled from off the inexperienced to avoid wasting par on the seventh and Schauffele closed once more with a birdie on the eighth, whereas Hovland accomplished a troublesome two-putt on the par-three ninth to retain a five-shot cushion on the flip.

The pair each squandered birdie seems from inside seven toes on the tenth, earlier than Schauffele lower the hole to 4 when he drained a 20-foot birdie on the subsequent and Hovland didn’t convert his effort from inside eight toes.

The American acquired no nearer than inside three photographs of Hovland all day on Sunday

Schauffele briefly moved inside three on the twelfth after registering a seventh birdie of the day, whereas Hovland solely retained his cushion when he responded to a clunky chip from simply off the inexperienced by making a 25-footer to avoid wasting par on the 14th.

Hovland reclaimed management of the event with back-to-back birdies from the sixteenth to take a five-shot result in the final, the place he splashed out of the sand to eight toes and matched Schauffele’s birdie to shut out victory in model.

Clark birdied two of his final three holes to finish the week on 16 underneath, whereas McIlroy blended seven birdies with two bogeys on the ultimate day to card a final-round 65 and former FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay rounded off the top-five with a closing 66.

England’s Tommy Fleetwood shared sixth spot with Collin Morikawa and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, with Matt Fitzpatrick in a share of ninth on 10 underneath and Ryder Cup hopeful Sepp Straka an extra shot again in tied-14th.

What’s subsequent?

The brand new FedExCup Fall marketing campaign begins with the Fortinet Championship in California from September 14-17, with the PGA Tour then taking every week off forward of the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Membership in Rome from September 29-October 1. Stream the PGA Tour and extra for £26 a month for 12 months with NOW.