Viktor Hovland of Norway defeated world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler of the United States to win the Travelers Championship, the final signature event of the 2026 PGA Tour, which had been delayed a day by sunset. The tournament featured a total purse of 20 million dollars.
Hovland made birdie on the first playoff hole, the par-4 18th at TPC River Highlands (par 70) in Cromwell, Connecticut, on Sunday, beating Scheffler, who missed his birdie putt, to claim the 3.6 million dollar winner's prize. With the victory, Hovland secured his first win of the season and his eighth career PGA Tour title.
Hovland, who had held the solo lead through the third round, shot a 1-under 69 in the final fourth round on Saturday, allowing the chase to close in. He finished tied for the lead with Scheffler at a combined 21-under 259.
The fourth round was suspended for more than an hour due to bad weather, and as a result, sunset arrived as the final group finished play. The tournament organizers postponed the playoff between the two players to Sunday.
After a rest, the two players met again in a duel of precise shots. As if by agreement, they dropped their tee shots in similar positions on the fairway. They then placed their balls on the green with their second iron shots.
Scheffler put his ball 0.7 meters from the hole, while Hovland was 2 meters away. Scheffler appeared to have the advantage. However, Hovland, who attempted his birdie putt first, dropped the ball into the hole. He clenched his fist, not hiding his joy.
Scheffler appeared to feel the pressure after seeing this. His birdie putt slid past the hole, and the winner was decided.
Scheffler had been aiming for a title for the first time in about five months since winning the American Express in January this year, but came up short.
Im Sung-jae, who competed in the tournament, tied for 30th at a combined 11-under 269, while Kim Si-woo tied for 44th at 9-under 73.
Collin Morikawa of the United States finished third at 20-under 260, and Matt Fitzpatrick of England placed fourth at 19-under 261. Wyndham Clark of the United States, who won the U.S. Open last week, tied for fifth with Akshay Bhatia of the United States at 18-under 262.
