Viktor Hovland hits his second shot on Sunday on the 18th gap at Olympia Fields.
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Rory McIlroy referred to as it superb. Four instances.
Scottie Scheffler mentioned it was unbelievable. Twice.
Matt Fitzpatrick had a thought, too.
Yes, Viktor Hovland’s 61 on Sunday at Olympia Fields, with a back-nine 28 (!), was a lot of issues. Rewarding? Yep. It gained him the BMW Championship crown, together with its $3.6 million booty. Thunderous? Yep. Hovland began the ultimate spherical three off the tempo, and he clobbered everybody, together with these all-stars above. Historic? Yep. The 61 was a profession low for Hovland. It was an Olympia Fields course report.
Dynamic? Powerful? Precise? Yes, sure, sure, all of that, as effectively. Hovland birdied the par-5 1st on a 2-foot putt. He birdied the par-4 third on a 19-footer. He birdied the par-4 fifth on a 15-footer. Then came the electrical closing 9. Hovland birdied the par-4 tenth on a 3-footer. He birdied the par-4 eleventh on a 12-footer. He birdied the par-4 twelfth on a 4-footer. He birdied the par-4 14th on a 19-incher. He birdied the par-5 on an 8-footer. He birdied the par-4 seventeenth on an 8-footer. He birdied the par-4 18th on a 6-footer. In all, he made a dozen 3’s. He missed two fairways. He missed two greens. He took simply 25 putts.
McIlroy noticed it greatest. He was Hovland’s enjoying companion.
“I felt like I played very average out there next to Viktor,” the four-time main winner mentioned. “He performed superb. Yeah, he performed unimaginable.
“I was marking his card in there and I’m like, oh, you only made one 4 on the back nine, the rest 3’s, so it adds up to a nice little 28 for him. It was great to see. He played great.”
Was McIlroy impressed by something most?
Viktor Hovland’s preposterous back-nine 28 propels him to BMW win
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“He just keeps his foot on the pedal,” he mentioned. “Just isn’t scared. Just retains going ahead, retains going at it.
“The things that people don’t realize, you get into that position, the second shot on 17, to pitch it where he pitched it right by the pin, you look at where Scottie hit his, lands it five, seven yards short of the pin, it spins back and he’s got a tricky — Viktor just keeps his foot on the gas.”
Then there was Scheffler. He had been one among two leaders coming into the day. He shot a respectable 66. And misplaced by two.
“Yeah, pretty amazing round of golf to win this tournament like that,” final 12 months’s Masters champ and present world No. 1 mentioned.
“I still don’t understand how the scores were so low this week. I don’t know, this place seems pretty hard to me, but guys are just ripping it up. Sixty-one is a fantastic round, especially with Sunday pressure, and the way he finished was a really fantastic round.”
Then there was Fitzpatrick. Last 12 months’s U.S. Open winner had been the opposite co-leader. He additionally shot a 66. And he additionally misplaced by two.
He had a thought on Hovland, too. Or particularly a greeting.
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We’ll finish issues right here with this trade, began by a reporter afterward.
What did you say to Viktor, and did you see a 61 being shot this week?
“Yeah, I think after the rain on Monday or Tuesday, I did see one. I’ll be honest, it was softer than I thought it was going to be today. I was hoping for it to be a bit firmer. But can’t knock it. It’s so impressive.”
When you grabbed him on the shoulders there, what did you say?
“I said he was a little s**t.”
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