Up until the 16th hole on Sunday, Viktor Hovland had been going toe-to-toe with Brooks Koepka, with the young Norwegian keeping himself in contention to claim a first Major title at the PGA Championship.
However, after his tee shot found a fairway bunker at the 16th, it soon unravelled for the 25-year-old as his next shot slammed into the lip of the bunker and plugged deeply. As a result, Hovland was forced to take a drop and, after his fourth found the green, he could only two putt for a double bogey, with his chances of lifting the Wanamaker Trophy gone.
Viktor Hovland fires his shot straight in to the front lip - nearly identical to the mess Corey Conners got into in the very same bunker yesterday 😮 pic.twitter.com/yDs6REb9qqMay 21, 2023
Visibly gutted about the actions of the past hour, a dejected Hovland was seen in the scorer's tent before he headed over to fulfill his media duties and, speaking after his round, he simply stated: "It sucks right now."
Describing the moment at the 16th, he explained that: "(I) just didn't get out of the bunker. Plugged in the lip and tried to get a drop and made a double bogey. It was a 9-iron."
Despite missing out on a Major title, his record at the big events continues to get better, with a T4 result at the Masters in April being followed by a T2 finish at the PGA Championship this week. "It is really cool to see that things are going the right direction," claimed Hovland. "If I just keep taking care of my business and just keep working on what I've been doing, I think we're going to get one of these soon."
In the end, it was Koepka who would get the better of his playing partner, with the LIV golfer firing a three-under-par final round of 67 to secure a two shot win over Hovland and Scottie Scheffler.
Not only was the win his third PGA Championship title, but also his fifth Major trophy, with the result making Koepka the 20th male golfer to reach the feat of five Major titles.
