Viktor Hovland sealed his first victory because the 2023 Tour Championship with a shocking comeback victory on the Valspar Championship, edging out Justin Thomas
The Norwegian, who missed the lower in his earlier three tournaments, notched birdies on three of his closing 5 holes to shoot four-under-par 67 and seal a well-known win at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course.
“I hit a lot of disgusting shots, but they just happened to go where I looked,” Hovland joked. “Somehow I was able to hit the good shots I can a lot more often.”
He completed 11-under for a one-stroke victory over Justin Thomas, having been three strokes off the tempo on the again 9 earlier than he went on a rampaging run.
“I honestly did not believe I could do it this week,” he mentioned.
It regarded bleak even after Hovland and Thomas lastly separated from the pack throughout a closing spherical so tight that 9 gamers had at the least a share of the lead in some unspecified time in the future.
Hovland was three photographs behind Thomas when he holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-five 14th to start out his wonderful run. He hit a seven-iron at a tucked pin on the sixteenth gap – the hardest gap on the course – to 5 toes for birdie that tied him for the lead.
Hovland mentioned he hit a number of ‘disgusting photographs’ as he sealed a well-known win at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course
After which he took lifeless goal to a again pin on the par-three seventeenth to 12 toes for birdie, which become a two-shot cushion when Thomas faltered late.
“I’ve had plenty of chances this season, but nothing quite like that,” mentioned Thomas, whose final victory was the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
“I felt so good out there, so excited for every shot,” he mentioned. “Hell, there’s not much I can do. He birdied 16 and 17. I obviously made it a lot easier. It’s really hard – but really fun – trying to win golf tournaments.”
Jacob Bridgeman, who led on the match’s halfway mark, was third at nine-under.
Bud Cauley (66), Billy Horschel (67) and Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune (68) tied for fourth place at eight-under. Davis Riley (69) was seventh at seven-under.
Horschel makes inconceivable birdie
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Billy Horschel performed a superb left-handed shot onto the inexperienced earlier than sinking an enormous birdie putt…
Horschel delivered essentially the most unbelievable shot at Innisbrook when his ball settled up in opposition to a tree on the par-five fifth gap.
He inverted a nine-iron and swung left-handed, hitting it 117 yards onto the inexperienced and changing the birdie putt from simply exterior 30 toes.
“There was no way to hit it but lefty,” Horschel mentioned. “I grabbed a nine-iron hoping it wouldn’t go too far, and I was just hoping to get it up in the air and go straight.”
He additionally required some gallery management – particularly his younger son.
“The funny thing was my little boy was about 50 yards in front of me just to the left on the cart path sitting down, and I had to yell at him to sort of get out of the way because I didn’t know exactly where this thing could go,” Horschel mentioned.
“Last thing I need to do is call my wife and tell her I just hit my son with a golf ball.
“Hear, it was a hit-and-hope shot and I pulled it off and to make the putt… I imply, humorous issues occur like that.”
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