PGA Tour Finals
18 million jackpot for golf star Hovland
Norway’s Viktor Hovland picked up an $18 million bonus for his triumph in Atlanta. photo
© John Bazemore/AP/dpa
Just in time for the PGA Tour season finale, Viktor Hovland is in top form. The Norwegian cashed in properly in Atlanta.
Golf star Viktor Hovland won the multi-million dollar final for the first time PGA Tour won. After a strong final round of 63, the Norwegian won in Atlanta with a five-stroke lead (27 strokes under par) clearly ahead of Olympic champion Xander Schauffele (-22) and US Open champion Wyndham Clark (-16/both USA).
The 25-year-old from Oslo received an $18 million bonus for his season-ending triumph at East Lake Golf Club and winning the FedExCup standings. It was Hovland’s third win on the US tour. Only the previous week he had won near Chicago.
Best golf at the best time
“It’s pretty unreal to be standing here now,” Hovland said after his Tour Championship success. “I’ve played my best golf in the last two weeks and it couldn’t have happened at a better time.”
In the special format of the tour final, Hovland started on Thursday two strokes behind world number one Scottie Scheffler and one stroke ahead of last year’s winner Rory McIlroy. In total, bonuses with a volume of 75 million US dollars were distributed to the players in the FedExCup.
Defending champion McIlroy finished fourth, 13 strokes behind. The Northern Irishman is the only player to date to have won the FedExCup classification three times. German golfers failed to qualify for the final of the top 30 golfers on the US tour.