Viktor Hovland leads Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler at Tour Championship
- Planet Sport writer
- 26 August 2023
The in-form Norwegian leads a star-studded field at the PGA Tour's season-ending showpiece in Atlanta.
Norway's Viktor Hovland continued his recent scintillating form to surge into a share of the lead at the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.
The 25-year-old, who will be a key player in Europe's Ryder Cup team next month, shot a course-record 61 to win the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields on Sunday.
But having opened with a two-under 68 and made the turn at one-under for his second round, the world number five found a flurry of birdies - five in six holes from the 12th - to card a 64.
That catapulted him into a share of the lead on 16 under, having started the week at eight under due to the FedEx Cup's weighting system for the season-ending event.
"I felt like a did a lot of the same stuff as yesterday. The front nine was decent but it was nice to get it going in the back nine," Hovland told Sky Sports.
"We have all been grinding the whole year to be here and I'm in a great spot but we're only halfway there.
"Hopefully the putter stays hot and I keep hitting fairways.
"When things feel good you just trust your feels and stand over it with very little negative emotion. When it is that easy you just keep it that easy."
Overnight leader Collin Morikawa, who posted his own round of 61 on Thursday, joined him with a birdie at the last to match his round of 64, with world number one Scottie Scheffler in third two shots behind after a 65.
For the second successive day world number two Rory McIlroy continued to be troubled by back spasms but the defending champion, looking to win the FedEx Cup for the fourth time, carded a three-under 67 which was three better than his opening round.
That left him in seventh place on 10 under, five off the pace. Two shots ahead of him is Ryder Cup team-mate Jon Rahm after a round of 65 moved him into a tie for fifth.
It meant five of the top six in the world rankings were in the top seven places, separated by just six shots.
"I feel good. Yesterday wasn't a great day. I didn't lose any ground today. I've put myself in a really good position," Rahm told Sky Sports.
