Norway’s Viktor Hovland defended his Mayakoba Championship title this past Sunday for his second triumph of the year and third career US PGA Tour victory.
The 24-year-old from Oslo fired a final-round four-under-par 67 at El Camaleon Golf Course in Mexico to shoot a 72-hole tournament record of 23 under 261.
23-under. 🔥
Viktor Hovland has set the new 72-hole scoring record @WWTatMayakoba. pic.twitter.com/zQhViLNqJZ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 7, 2021
That was enough for Hovland, who fired a US PGA career-low 62 on Saturday, to defeat Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz by four strokes despite the host-nation hero closing with five birdies on the last seven holes to shoot 66.
Asked if it was his best week as a professional, Hovland said: “I think I’ll have to say so. I played pretty good golf throughout the week. I didn’t have my best stuff today but I wish I could putt the way I did today more often.”
The world No 17 won the European Tour’s BMW International Open at Munich in June. His prior US PGA titles came last year at Mayakoba and at the 2020 Puerto Rico Open.
Hovland has produced seven top-five US PGA finishes this year, including shared fifth at the Tour Championship and runner-up efforts at Riviera at the WGC Concession event.
“I’ve been chipping it so good, making so many up and downs, it takes a lot of pressure off your long game,” Hovland said. “I’ve made some big strides and I hope I can keep it going that way.”
American Justin Thomas, the 2017 PGA Championship and 2021 Players Championship winner, was third on 266 after a 69 with countryman Scottie Scheffler fourth on 267 after a 66.
Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, who turned 23 this past Sunday, and American Matthew Wolff, who fired a course-record 61 on Thursday, shared fifth on 268.
Hovland played the week with a driver shaft borrowed from US rival James Hahn after shattering his just before his first round.
The Norwegian began the day with a two-stroke lead and made birdies at the par-five 5th and 7th holes, holed a 10-foot par save at 8 then sank a long birdie putt at the 9th to make the turn at 22 under with a four-stroke lead over Scheffler.
“He’s a great ball-striker and really good putter as well and obviously a very talented guy,” Scheffler said of Hovland. “So, I’m sure this won’t be the last time you’ll see him on top of the leaderboard.”
Hovland rolled in a 12-foot birdie at the 11th but saw his run of 37 holes without a bogey end at the par-four 12th, trimming his lead to three.
At the par-five 13th, Hovland had to save par from the rough but Scheffler took a double-bogey at the par-four 16th and the European star’s lead stretched to five holes with five to play.
Hovland rolled in a 10-foot putt for birdie at 14 but Ortiz charged with his fourth birdie in a row coming at the par-three 15th and Thomas matched him for both to share second at 18 under.
Hovland took a bogey at 15 but answered with a birdie at the par-four 17th to thwart Ortiz’s sizzling finish.
