Scottie Scheffler forces Monday playoff with Viktor Hovland
Scottie Scheffler salvaged an 8-foot par putt on the 18th hole Sunday to tie Viktor Hovland at 21-under 259, forcing a sudden-death Monday playoff at the rain-delayed Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour. Storms halted the final round for 90 minutes at TPC River Highlands, and officials ruled there was not enough daylight to settle the title Sunday. It matters because two of golf's biggest stars will return to Cromwell, Connecticut, to decide a signature event that swung wildly on the closing holes.
Collin Morikawa briefly shared the lead after a closing 61 but finished one stroke back. The PGA Tour will settle the trophy in sudden death rather than on Sunday night.
Key Takeaways
- Scheffler and Hovland are tied at 21-under 259 after final-round scores of 68 and 69.
- Weather suspended play for 90 minutes; officials said daylight ran out before a playoff hole.
- Scheffler made his third big par putt on 18 after missing a 30-foot birdie attempt.
- Hovland's 25-foot birdie try at the last missed by inches before he tapped in.
- Morikawa closed with a 61 to finish alone in third, one shot behind the leaders.
Why did the Travelers Championship finish on Monday?
The final round at TPC River Highlands was stopped for 90 minutes as storms moved over the course, according to the PGA Tour. When play resumed, Scheffler and Hovland were still locked in the final pairing with the tournament on the line.
Officials determined there was not enough daylight to play even one playoff hole Sunday. That pushed the sudden-death decider to Monday, extending one of the PGA Tour's biggest early-summer storylines.
How did Scottie Scheffler force a playoff with Viktor Hovland?
Both players had birdie chances on the par-4 18th. Scheffler ran his 30-foot attempt 8 feet past the hole, then converted the par putt for a 68. He pumped his fist with more emotion than he had shown all day, per the Associated Press report on PGA Tour.com.
Hovland's 25-foot birdie try missed by inches. He tapped in for a 69 to match Scheffler at 21-under 259. The tie set up a sudden-death playoff rather than a Sunday night finish.
Who was chasing the leaders at the Travelers Championship?
Collin Morikawa was the nearest challenger. His final-round 61 briefly put him in a share of the lead, but he finished one shot back at 20-under. The PGA Tour noted it never looked as though that would be enough once the leaders reached 18.
Going into Sunday's final round, Norway's Viktor Hovland held a one-shot lead over world No. 1 Scheffler after a six-under 64, as RTE Sport reported. Ireland's Shane Lowry was also in the mix at 13 under after four back-nine birdies in his third-round 64, seven shots off the pace.
What does this mean for the PGA Tour season?
The Travelers Championship is a high-profile stop on the PGA Tour calendar, and a Monday playoff between Scheffler and Hovland guarantees a marquee finish. Hovland had flipped the script on Saturday with a closing birdie while Scheffler bogeyed the 18th, per Sky Sports.
For readers tracking how major sports moments unfold in real time, our Future Tech & AI Wonders coverage explores how data and broadcast tech shape the stories fans see on Sunday — and, in this case, Monday.