Viktor Hovland Wins Valspar Championship with Clutch Finish – Golf

Photo : AP

Viktor Hovland played his best golf and won the Valspar Championship. He had not been playing well for the last few weeks and even failed to make the cut in his last three tournaments. But on Sunday, at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course in Florida, he made a great comeback.

Hovland finished strong, making three birdies in his last five holes. He scored 4-under-par 67 in the final round, which helped him win by one shot over Justin Thomas. Hovland’s total score for the tournament was 11-under 273.

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After winning, Hovland said he was not sure he could do it. "I honestly didn't believe I could win this week," he said. "I hit some really bad shots, but somehow, they went in the right direction. Luckily, this week, I hit more good shots than in the past few weeks."

The 27-year-old now has seven career wins. This was his first title since he won the Tour Championship in 2023, which was part of a hot streak when he won three titles in three months.

Hovland was not leading in the final round at first. He was three shots behind on the back nine, but he stayed patient. Slowly, he played better, while Thomas made mistakes.

Thomas had been playing well, scoring a great round of 66. But he made bogeys on the 16th and 18th holes, which hurt his chances of winning. Earlier, he had made four birdies in five holes.

Jacob Bridgeman, who had been leading after two rounds, finished in third place with a score of 9-under after shooting 69 on Sunday.

Three players—Bud Cauley (66), Billy Horschel (67), and Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune (68)—finished tied for fourth place at 8-under. Davis Riley (69) finished seventh at 7-under.

Hovland played very well towards the end. He made a big 13-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole, then made two more birdies on the next three holes. Even though he made a mistake on the last hole and got a bogey, it didn’t matter because Thomas had already finished his round.

This was the second time Hovland shot 67 in the tournament, the first being on Friday.

Thomas was upset about not winning but stayed hopeful. "It feels bad to come so close and not win," he said. "But I just want to be in the same position in two weeks at Augusta and finish better next time."