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Viktor Hovland finally returns to the winner's circle.
For the first time since the 2023 Tour Championship, Hovland delivered on a Sunday, recording birdies on 16 and 17 to win the Valspar Championship by one shot over Justin Thomas at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Florida.
Hovland was in the red for all four rounds and shot 67 on both Friday and Sunday for his seventh career PGA Tour victory and first in 574 days.
The Norwegian takes home $1.566 million, jumping from 120th to into the top 50, and 500 FedEx Cup points.
Thomas will take his second-place finish from the St. Petersburg suburbs over the Palm Beach on Monday for the first night of the TGL finals, where he, Billy Horschel (8 under for tournament, 4-under 67 on Sunday) and Patrick Cantlay of the Atlanta Drive take on Rickie Fowler, Cameron Young and Xander Schauffle of the New York Golf Club.
On the 18th tee, tied for the lead with Hovland, Thomas yanked his tee shot into the rough. After Hovland's birdie on 17 took the lead, Thomas' second shot, a wedge out of the thick rough, landed in a bunker. His 10-foot putt from the border between the first and second cuts slid by and he finished with a bogey to drop to 10-under-par for the tournament.
Shortly thereafter, Hovland sliced his tee shot on 18 into the gallery. Then, Thomas' third shot, out of the bunker, missed the short cut of the grass by a few inches and fell short of the green. The famed Snakepit of the Copperhead Course at Innishbrook — the three finishing holes — cost Thomas two shots.
Hovland got on to the green in three, needing a two-putt for the victory. He got exactly that to finish the Snakepit 1 under.
Nursing a two-shot lead after a birdie on 15, Thomas' tee shot on 16 was wayward left, and after punching out of the trees, his approach to the green landed in the bunker. His fourth shot landed hole high about 5 feet away and Thomas sank a bogey putt, halving his lead.
With that opening, Hovland, playing right behind Thomas, landed his approach on 16 on the green and a few feet from the hole, and then made his 7-foot birdie putt for a tie of the lead at 11-under-par.
As Hovland was tying for the lead, Thomas was working on the par-3 17th. Thomas dropped the tee shot on the 215-yard hole to about 15 feet on the green, but he burned the left edge on the birdie putt, settling for par.
Hovland answered with virtually the same tee shot on 17, and his 13-footer curled in for sole possession of the lead.
At one point Sunday afternoon, 10 players either tied for the lead or one shot back, but Thomas separated himself from the pack with his fourth birdie of the day, a short putt on the 11th set up by a dazzling chip shot onto the green, to reach 9-under-par for the championship.
Hovland joined Thomas as 9 under with a 12-foot birdie putt on 11 for his third birdie of the afternoon.
But Thomas continued to scorch the back nine at Innisbrook with a 15-foot birdie on the par-4 12th hole to get to 10-under-par for the tournament. He followed that up with a nifty up-and-down for a tap-in birdie on the 13th hole to gain another shot on the field and get to 10 under on the back nine for the week.
Then for good measure, Thomas sank a 20-footer on the 15th for his fourth birdie in five holes and a three-shot lead. Still Hovland tried to stick around with a birdie conversion on 14 to cut the deficit back to two.
Jacob Bridgeman finished third at 9-under-par, shooting minus-2 on Sunday.
Bud Cauley, who made The Players Championship field as an alternate and responded with sixth-place finish, had the round of the day with five birdies - four on the front nine - and no bogeys for a 5-under 66. He finished the Valspar Championship tied for fourth at 8 under along with Horschel and Ryo Hisatsune.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Viktor Hovland wins Valspar Championship by one over Justin Thomas
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For the first time since the 2023 Tour Championship, Hovland delivered on a Sunday, recording birdies on 16 and 17 to win the Valspar Championship by one shot over Justin Thomas at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Florida.
Hovland was in the red for all four rounds and shot 67 on both Friday and Sunday for his seventh career PGA Tour victory and first in 574 days.
The Norwegian takes home $1.566 million, jumping from 120th to into the top 50, and 500 FedEx Cup points.
Thomas will take his second-place finish from the St. Petersburg suburbs over the Palm Beach on Monday for the first night of the TGL finals, where he, Billy Horschel (8 under for tournament, 4-under 67 on Sunday) and Patrick Cantlay of the Atlanta Drive take on Rickie Fowler, Cameron Young and Xander Schauffle of the New York Golf Club.
The Snakepit bites Justin Thomas
On the 18th tee, tied for the lead with Hovland, Thomas yanked his tee shot into the rough. After Hovland's birdie on 17 took the lead, Thomas' second shot, a wedge out of the thick rough, landed in a bunker. His 10-foot putt from the border between the first and second cuts slid by and he finished with a bogey to drop to 10-under-par for the tournament.
Shortly thereafter, Hovland sliced his tee shot on 18 into the gallery. Then, Thomas' third shot, out of the bunker, missed the short cut of the grass by a few inches and fell short of the green. The famed Snakepit of the Copperhead Course at Innishbrook — the three finishing holes — cost Thomas two shots.
Hovland got on to the green in three, needing a two-putt for the victory. He got exactly that to finish the Snakepit 1 under.
Viktor Hovland stays steady to tie for the lead
Nursing a two-shot lead after a birdie on 15, Thomas' tee shot on 16 was wayward left, and after punching out of the trees, his approach to the green landed in the bunker. His fourth shot landed hole high about 5 feet away and Thomas sank a bogey putt, halving his lead.
With that opening, Hovland, playing right behind Thomas, landed his approach on 16 on the green and a few feet from the hole, and then made his 7-foot birdie putt for a tie of the lead at 11-under-par.
As Hovland was tying for the lead, Thomas was working on the par-3 17th. Thomas dropped the tee shot on the 215-yard hole to about 15 feet on the green, but he burned the left edge on the birdie putt, settling for par.
Hovland answered with virtually the same tee shot on 17, and his 13-footer curled in for sole possession of the lead.
Justin Thomas make big move on back nine
At one point Sunday afternoon, 10 players either tied for the lead or one shot back, but Thomas separated himself from the pack with his fourth birdie of the day, a short putt on the 11th set up by a dazzling chip shot onto the green, to reach 9-under-par for the championship.
Hovland joined Thomas as 9 under with a 12-foot birdie putt on 11 for his third birdie of the afternoon.
But Thomas continued to scorch the back nine at Innisbrook with a 15-foot birdie on the par-4 12th hole to get to 10-under-par for the tournament. He followed that up with a nifty up-and-down for a tap-in birdie on the 13th hole to gain another shot on the field and get to 10 under on the back nine for the week.
Then for good measure, Thomas sank a 20-footer on the 15th for his fourth birdie in five holes and a three-shot lead. Still Hovland tried to stick around with a birdie conversion on 14 to cut the deficit back to two.
Jacob Bridgeman finished third at 9-under-par, shooting minus-2 on Sunday.
Bud Cauley, who made The Players Championship field as an alternate and responded with sixth-place finish, had the round of the day with five birdies - four on the front nine - and no bogeys for a 5-under 66. He finished the Valspar Championship tied for fourth at 8 under along with Horschel and Ryo Hisatsune.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Viktor Hovland wins Valspar Championship by one over Justin Thomas
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