Hovland beats Scheffler in Travelers play-off

Viktor Hovland is the Travelers Championship winner after defeating world number one Scottie Scheffler in a play-off. The pair ended 72 holes level at 21 under before Hovland settled it with a birdie on the first extra hole.

The Norwegian had started the final round with a narrow lead and signed for a one-under 69, but a missed birdie chance on the 18th kept Scheffler alive. In the play-off, Scheffler could not match Hovland’s birdie, leaving the 28-year-old to take the title and the reported £2.72m ($3.6m) winner’s prize.

Collin Morikawa finished one shot back at 20 under, while Matt Fitzpatrick was listed at 19 under. Wyndham Clark and Akshay Bhatia were among those further behind at 18 under, underlining how little margin there was at the top of the leaderboard.

The win also had a strong Norwegian flavour, with supporters at TPC River Highlands bringing a football-style atmosphere and a “viking row” celebration. Hovland’s post-round comments pointed to both the pressure of beating Scheffler and his own drive to keep improving, while Scheffler credited his opponent’s talent and ball-striking.