Viktor Hovland is eyeing his second Tour Championship and FedExCup title on Sunday while Ryan Gerard is looking for his first, but both will have to hold off a strong field of chasers.
Putting has been the name of the game at East Lake Golf Club. Look no further than Hovland; the Norwegian star closed his third round with six straight putts of 7 feet or longer to card a 5-under 65 and retain the lead going into the final round.
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The 2023 Tour and FedExCup champion said he feels comfortable over the ball right now, even though the greens are so different to what he’s used to.
“It’s been just one of those weeks where I’ve been able to put it together every single day for three days,” Hovland said Saturday.
The 28-year-old last won at the Travelers Championship in June, but he hasn’t been able to replicate the three-win season he put together in 2023. He missed three of four major cuts this year and has been transparent about the disappointment.
“It’s still disappointing to play that poorly in the majors, but obviously to have a chance. I’ve already won this year, won a signature event, and in good position now to have another good look at a FedExCup trophy. So that’s kind of the focus now. Can’t really change the past,” Hovland said after the second round.
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He knows he’ll never be perfect, but Hovland also knows he is capable of getting back to the level he was at during that 2023 stretch.
“It’s not like I’m being unreasonable and confabulating things, but I know there’s always a solution, and I’m trying to resolve the problems that I have and get back to a position to where I can play like this week in, week out. That’s the goal.”
Hovland and Gerard make up the final pair for the second straight day, but while Hovland has won at East Lake before, Gerard hadn’t seen the course before this week.
The 27-year-old has one Tour win to his name – the 2025 Barracuda Championship – but has gotten close twice this season. First at the Memorial Tournament, when he lost in a playoff to J.T. Poston, and second at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, when he lost in a playoff to Jayden Schaper.
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This would undoubtedly be the biggest win of Gerard’s career. Two trophies, a $10,000,000 prize and the prestige to go along with it.
It won’t be smooth sailing to the finish for either player – not with a who’s who of challengers breathing down their necks.
While Hovland has a one-stroke lead on Gerard at 15 under, Scottie Scheffler, Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Åberg and Adam Scott are just a few strokes back at 12 under. Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young are within five at 10 under.
McIlroy, in particular, is one to watch. The three-time FedExCup winner (a record) owns the biggest comeback in Tour Championship history, coming from six shots behind in the final round of the 2022 tournament to beat Scheffler and Sungjae Im.
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Realistically, there could be a dozen or so players in true contention on Sunday, especially with two 62s already this week from Young and first round leader Min Woo Lee.
It could be a familiar face or a new era. Either way, Sunday at East Lake should produce some season finale fireworks for the PGA Tour.
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