Norway fans cheer Hovland into Scheffler play-off
Travelers Championship final round
-21 S Scheffler (US), V Hovland (Nor); -20 C Morikawa (US); -19 M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -18 W Clark (US), A Bhatia (US)
Selected others: -17 A Fitzpatrick (Eng); -16 R MacIntyre (Sco); -14 T Fleetwood (Eng); -13 S Lowry (Ire); -12 J Rose (Eng); -11 A Rai (Eng)
Norway’s ‘viking row’ made an appearance on the golf course this weekend as Viktor Hovland played his way into a Monday play-off with Scottie Scheffler at the Travelers Championship.
Norway football fans at the World Cup have made the tribute to their viking ancestors famous this summer, performing it at games and around the United States.
Their country played France on Friday near Boston, which is a two-hour drive from the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut and led to a Norwegian contingent making the trip to cheer on Hovland.
Hovland had a one-shot lead going into the fourth round and was close to clinching victory on the 18th, but his birdie attempt from 25 feet narrowly missed as he carded a one-under 69.
World number one Scheffler had to save par from inside nine feet to match Hovland on 21 under and fist-pumped when the putt dropped to give him a 68.
Organisers deemed there was not enough daylight for the sudden-death play-off as a result of the earlier 90-minute delay because of a storm so Hovland, the world number 30, and Scheffler will return on Monday at 09:00 local time (14:00 BST).
“So close to getting it done on 18, but I’ll take the play-off,” Hovland said.
“I played a lot of great golf this week, so I’m feeling pretty good. Obviously, I would have liked to have got it done in regulation, but I have a chance again to win.”
Hovland dropped back after a fourth bogey at the start of the back nine but he bridged the suspension with three consecutive birdies from the 13th to pull level with Scheffler.
“For a while there, I wasn’t even in second place, so really happy that I still have a shot,” said the 28-year-old.
Collin Morikawa began the day nine strokes off the lead but shot a nine-under 61 to set a clubhouse target of 20 under, with Hovland and Scheffler having six holes to play.
Morikawa eventually finished third, with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick a shot further back after a 64 – the same score as his brother Alex, who was tied for seventh on 17 under.
US Open champion Wyndham Clark carded a closing 65 to finish tied fifth on 18 under, with Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre in a share of 10th two strokes further back.
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