Hovland repeats as PGA Mayakoba champion

CARMEN, Mexico: 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 runnerup 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.

- ‘Won’t be last time’ - 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.