Norway's Hovland repeats as PGA Mayakoba champion
Norway's Viktor Hovland defended his title at the Mayakoba Championship on Sunday.
PLAYA DEL CARMEN (AFP) - Norway s Viktor Hovland defended his title at the Mayakoba Championship on 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.
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."
World number 17 Hovland 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 on 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-5 fifth and seventh holes, holed a 10-foot par save at eight then sank a long birdie putt at the ninth 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-4 12th, trimming his lead to three.
At the par-5 13th, Hovland had to save par from the rough but Scheffler took a double bogey at the par-4 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-3 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-4 17th to thwart Ortiz s sizzling finish.
