ATLANTA (AP) — Viktor Hovland played the best golf of his life in the final two weeks of the PGA Tour season, and it paid off Sunday with the biggest trophy of his career — a FedEx Cup title along with the $18 million bonus.
Staked to a six-shot lead, Hovland didn’t flinch under a relentless challenge from Xander Schauffele. The 25-year-old Norwegian stayed on the attack and closed with a 7-under 63 for a five-shot victory at East Lake.
Schauffele made him work for that $18 million, firing at flags from the opening hole and closing with a 62. He got to within three shots with seven holes to play and had momentum on his side. And then Hovland ended the suspense with a 25-foot par putt on the 14th hole, and he put Schauffele away with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 16th.
Hovland was the No. 2 seed going into the Tour Championship, meaning he started the tournament at 8-under par. Hovland posted a 19-under 261 — the same score as Schauffele, who started the tournament at 3 under as the No. 15 seed.
It was the second time in four years that no one scored better than Schauffele, and he left Atlanta without a trophy to show for it.
U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark won the B-Flight, closing with a 65 to finish third, 11 shots behind. That was worth a $5 million bonus. Rory McIlroy had a 65 to finish fourth and collect $4 million, while Patrick Cantlay (66) was alone in fifth to earn $3 million.
The next time Hovland and Schauffele meet is for no prize money at all — the Ryder Cup in Rome in a month’s time.
EUROPEAN TOUR
PRAGUE (AP) — Todd Clements came through a bunched field Sunday to win the Czech Masters for his first European tour title, closing with a bogey-free round of 9-under 63 for a one-stroke victory over Matt Wallace.
Wallace missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole at the Albatross Golf Resort that would have forced a playoff. He shot 67.
Clements, who turns 27 on Tuesday, graduated from the Challenge Tour last year and is ranked No. 394. He hadn’t finished in the top 20 in any previous event this season, but shot in the 60s every round at the Czech Masters.
Clements finished on 22-under 266.
Nicolai Hojgaard (69) finish third. The six-way-tie for fourth included Robert MacIntyre of Scotland (66) and Ludvig Aberg of Sweden (66), both of whom could be part of Europe’s team for the Ryder Cup next month.
MacIntyre’ strengthened his spot in third place on the European points list. Qualifying ends next week at the European Masters in Switzerland. Aberg, a 23-year-old Swede who only turned pro in June and was playing in his first European tour event, is under consideration for a captain's pick.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
GRAND BLANC, Mich. (AP) — Vijay Singh won The Ally Challenge for his first PGA Tour Champions title in nearly five years, mainly because of a five-putt triple bogey by Paul Goydos.
Singh closed with a 4-under 68, and he walked off the 18th green at Warwick Hills thinking he would need some help from Goydos, who was in the group behind and had a one-shot lead. Singh didn’t realize the help already had been delivered.
Goydos was leading by one and had about an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole. He left that about 3 feet short. He rammed the par putt by the hole. He missed the 3-foot bogey putt. And then he missed again from about 4 feet and then tapped in for triple bogey.
Goydos closed with a par for a 71, two shots behind. Singh finished at 14-under 202, one shot ahead of Jeff Maggert.
Steve Stricker, playing for the first time in a month, closed with a 68 and tied for eighth to match his worst finish of the year. He has five wins — three of them senior majors — and five runner-up finishes.
KORN FERRY TOUR
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Chan Kim closed with a 7-under 64 to win the Albertsons Boise Open for his second straight win on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Kim needed a strong closing round to hold off David Kocher, who birdied his last hole for a 59 and finished two shots behind. It was the third 59 on the Korn Ferry Tour this year, and the sixth sub-60 round in professional golf in 2023.
Kim, the Hawaii native who played at Arizona State, previously had eight wins on the Japan Golf Tour. Now he has back-to-back titles on the Korn Ferry Tour, and he already is assured of a PGA Tour card for 2024.
Starting with a two-shot lead, Kim opened par-birdie-eagle to seize control. The challenge came late in the round when Kocher had seven birdies over the final eight holes of the front nine, made eagle on the par-5 16th and finished with a birdie for his 59 to close to within one shot.
Kim made birdie on the 16th for a two-shot cushion with two to play, and he finished with two pars for a four-day total of 28-under 256.
OTHER TOURS
Trish Johnson of England closed with a 1-over 72 and won the U.S. Senior Women’s Open by one shot over Leta Lindley at Old Waverly. Catriona Matthew of Scotland had a 73 to finish third. Annika Sorenstam shot 71 and tied for fourth. ... Eugenio Chacarra closed with a 5-under 67 and then went 10 extra holes — the longest playoff in Asian Tour history — to defeat Matt Jones in the St. Andrews Bay Championship. Jones closed with a 69 and lost when he missed a 5-foot par putt on the 10th playoff hole. ... China's Yue Ren beat Thailand's Chanettee Wannasaen with a par on the second playoff hole to win the Epson Tour's Circling Raven Championship. Ren posted a final round 8-under 64 and tied Wannasaen (4-under 68) at 13-under 203 after 72 holes. ... Younghan Song closed with a 3-under 69 for a one-shot victory over Ryutaro Nagano in the Sansan KBC. Song won for the first time on the Japan Golf Tour, and the first time anywhere since the Singapore Open in 2016. ... Jacques Kruyswijk of South Africa birdied his final two holes for a 4-under 63 to win the rain-shortened Dormy Open in Sweden and claim his first European Challenge Tour title. The third round was completed Sunday after it was determined the fourth round could not be played. ... Hayden Springer closed with a 6-under 66 to win the Manitoba Open by three shots over Etienne Paineau. Springer’s first PGA Tour Canada title also was the first pro title of the American’s career. ... Ryan van Velzen and Luca Filippi teamed for an 8-under 64 and defeated Louis Albertse and Hennie O’Kennedy in a playoff to win the Bains Whisky Ubunye Championship. ... Peter Baker coasted to victory in the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship with an even-par 72 at Trump International in Scotland and a six-shot victory over Greg Owen. ... Erika Kikuchia shot a 5-under 67 and then defeated Jiyai Shin and Akie Iwai in a playoff to win the Nitori Ladies on the Japan LPGA.
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