Viktor Hovland claimed his first victory of the season by edging world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in a dramatic Monday morning play-off to win a thrilling Travelers Championship.
The 28-year-old Norwegian came into the final round at TPC River Highlands as the overnight leader, a shot in-front of Scheffler as the pair went head-to-head in the final group in what was a tightly-contested and entertaining Sunday. But it was the American who looked to have the slight advantage up until the 14th when play was suspended by 90 minutes due to inclement weather. At that point before the weather delay, they were chasing two-time major winner Collin Morikawa who set the clubhouse target of 20 under after posting a stunning 9-under 61.
But when the players returned, Hovland came out on fire sinking three successive birdies to pull himself level with Scheffler. He came closest to sealing victory in regulation when he saw his 25-foot birdie attempt drift narrowly wide as he recorded a one-under 69 to set the new target of 21 under while Scheffler produced a clutch par save at the last to match the Norwegian’s total by carding a final-round 68 to force a play-off.
However, tournament organisers deemed due to the earlier weather delay and insufficient light with darkness falling, the play-off would not be able to take place on Sunday evening. This marked the first time an event on the PGA TOUR would conclude on a Monday since the 2025 Players Championship which saw Rory McIlroy edge out J.J. Spaun in the PGA TOUR’s flagship event.
The pair returned to the 18th the following day to contest the play-off, and both safely found the green with their opening two shots. Hovland then rolled in a nine-foot birdie putt to pile the pressure on Scheffler, who needed a birdie of his own to extend the contest. But from just a few feet, the American missed his putt to hand Hovland the title—his eighth on the PGA TOUR and first since the 2025 Valspar Championship.
“It’s been stressful, but it’s unbelievable,” Hovland said. “I knew I had to bring out my best to have a chance of beating Scottie, and I couldn’t be happier. I know how good I can get and I keep pushing myself and wanting to get better.
“When I fall short it really p****s me off, but I did a really good job. I didn’t start well Thursday and I didn’t let it bother me. I couldn’t be happier.”
Scheffler, on the other hand, expressed his disappointment after he missed his short birdie putt.
“I hit it on line but I hit it a bit firm,“ Scheffler said. “It’s one of those putts I had to make but I hit it too firmly. That is a bit disappointing, especially with the putts I had to make last night. But definitely some good things to come from this week.
“I struck the ball really nicely. It was just one of those weeks where I was close but just wasn’t quite good enough.“
Morikawa ended in third thanks to his record-equalling display in the final round where he equalled the score he posted in the first round of the TOUR Championship in 2023. A back injury suffered during the early stages of the Players Championship earlier this year saw him withdraw from the event and the American has since been battling to fully recover and find form.
“I haven’t been able to practice as much as I would have liked,” Morikawa said. “Still kind of dealing with the back stuff a little bit. It’s a lot better than what it was at The Masters, even through the PGA, but still not comfortable.
“I’m still kind of dancing around things. Each shot I’m out there, I’m focused so much on making contact versus hitting shots, and that’s a hard way to play. But thankfully, the game feels good enough where I’m able to put some scores together like this, and I think I’ll be able to use this heading into The Open.”
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick claimed fourth on 19 under while there was a tie for fifth between U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark and Akshay Bhatia.
What is the next event?
The next event on the PGA TOUR schedule is the John Deere Classic taking place between 2-5 July at TPC Deere Run in Illinois.