Former Oklahoma State star Viktor Hovland is 18 holes away from winning the FedExCup for the second time in his career.
Hovland fired a 5-under 65 during the third round of the Tour Championship on Saturday at East Lake Golf Club, moving to 15-under for the tournament and taking a one-shot lead over Ryan Gerard into Sunday's final round.
The solo leader heading into Sunday at the TOUR Championship: Viktor Hovland. 🔥
Final Round coverage begins tomorrow at 1:30 PM ET on CBS and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/PdJquVaWA6
Hovland began the day tied with Gerard at 10-under after rounds of 64 and 66 over the first two days.
The former Cowboy got off to a slow start Saturday, making bogey on the second hole before responding with a birdie at No. 3. Hovland made the turn at 1-under for his round before making his move on the back nine.
Hovland birdied four of his final six holes, including the par-5 18th, to move ahead of Gerard and claim the outright 54-hole lead.
The 28-year-old is now in position to capture another title at a course where he has already experienced one of the biggest moments of his professional career.
Hovland won the Tour Championship and FedExCup in 2023, finishing five shots ahead of Xander Schauffele to complete a dominant run through the FedExCup Playoffs.
Three years later, he has an opportunity to do it again. This run, however, has come under much different circumstances.
Despite winning the Travelers Championship earlier this season, Hovland has continued to openly discuss his frustrations with his swing. Even after moving into a share of the lead Friday, Hovland admitted he still doesn't feel completely comfortable with his game.
"As long as the ball is going straight, I know I can score," Hovland said Friday. So far at East Lake, that's exactly what he's done.
Hovland entered the Tour Championship 26th in the FedExCup standings but arrived in Atlanta with the same opportunity as everyone else after the PGA Tour moved away from the starting-strokes format. All players began the tournament at even par, with the winner of the Tour Championship also becoming the FedExCup champion.
That has opened the door for Hovland to turn a late-season run into another championship. He won't have much room for error Sunday.
Gerard sits just one shot back at 14-under, while Scottie Scheffler, Ludvig Åberg and Adam Scott remain within striking distance behind the leaders.
But for the former Oklahoma State All-American, the opportunity is clear. One more strong round at East Lake could end with Hovland lifting the FedExCup for the second time in four years.
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