Palm Harbor, Florida – Viktor Hovland won the Valspar title on Sunday, not sure how it happened.
Since winning the FedEx Cup in 2023, he has so many swings that Hovland has gone through five coaches. He hasn’t made 36 holes cuts in the entire field for eight months and feels lost to 36 holes, and he’s not even sure if he’ll play this week.
Then again, he made a world-class shot again and again, no better than a 5-foot 7-iron from 186 yards on the bunker to a 5-foot 7-iron on the 16th, which was the toughest hole on the Copperhead route.
He trailed three shots after five games, and he passed Justin Thomas with three birdies and ended a win with a 67-under 67.
“The last year and a half have been tough, so it’s incredible that I’m back and winning this game,” Hofland said. “I’m not hopeful about this week’s game. It just shows that this game is very crazy.
“Not sure I’ll show up, but I’m glad I did.”
He was not satisfied with his return to the game. There are still too many wrong shots, he feels the club is no longer possible and he has to find a solution on the way down.
But he found a swing that worked on the toughest Innisbrook.
“I honestly don’t believe I can do this week,” Hofland said.
Even in the final round, Hofland and Thomas were finally separated from the backpack, so much so that nine players had at least a portion of the lead at some point.
Hovland started his amazing run when he got a 12-foot birdie putt on Thomas 14. He hit seven irons on a plug on the 16th hole, the toughest hole in the copperhead route – the bird tied him up at 5 feet.
He then aimed the aiming agent behind the third shot 17 to 12 feet, and when Thomas staggered, he turned into a two-shot pad.
Thomas made Hovland easier. He stretched out four birdies on the five holes in the back nine, and when he stepped out of the 15th green, he took three birdies. But he chose the driver on the 16th and then knocked it into the tree, with no choice but to throw it on the fairway. Thomas had to get up from the bunker and escape with bogey.
Hovland caught his bird with him on the 16th, and Thomas got into trouble on the 18th, heading to the left toward the left and heading towards a bogey. He was 7 years old in seven of 15 holes, but had to settle 66.
Hovland played safely on the 18th with a two-shot lead, and his jealousy only determines the final profit. He ended with a seventh career victory with a score of 273, which brought him back to the top ten in the world.
He probably didn’t see this.
Hofland spoke openly about the frustration of his highest hitting became a responsibility. He missed the three-game winning streak of the Valspar title, including the first round player championship a week ago. Hovland’s last match was last summer’s Scottish Open.
So, what happened?
“I don’t know,” he said with a smile as his victory secured.
Jacob Bridgeman started with a leading tee share and needed to kick out of the fairway on the 18th to force the playoffs. He finished third with par.
“I played a lot of disgusting shots, but they happened to go where I looked,” Hofland said. “I was able to play very often.”
There are only great shots for stretching. Hovland chose to lay down on the 14th – he went on the green on Saturday and paired up the Bogey – had to rely on a 12-foot, sliding birdie putt to get a chance. That’s a big deal.
The 16th pin returned to the right, protected in front and right, and his shot never left a flag. Then there was a shot and the birdie putt on the 17th.
Thomas wants to know what went wrong. He always hit the driver on the 16th and thought the worse he could do was 5. He quickly realized that Hofland was doing well.
“I have a lot of opportunities this season, but nothing like this.” Thomas’ last win was the 2022 PGA champion.
“I feel good there and every shot is excited,” he said. “Hell, there’s nothing I can do. His 16 and 17 birdies. I obviously made it a lot easier. It’s really hard – but it’s really fun – trying to win a golf game.”
Bud Cauley (66), Billy Horschel (67) and Ryo Hisatsune (68) tied for fourth place. Horschel fired the most incredible shot at Innisbrook as his ball leaned against a tree on the fifth hole of the 5th. He poured nine iron heads, waved his left hand, hit him 117 yards and converted the birdie putt from 30 feet outside.
