PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) — Viktor Hovland found a swing that worked down the tough closing stretch at Innisbrook on Sunday, making three late birdies to rally past Justin Thomas with a 4-under 67 for a one-shot victory in the Valspar Championship.
Hovland has changed coaches five times since he last won at East Lake to capture the FedEx Cup in 2023. He won for the seventh time on the PGA Tour when he least expected it.
Hovland and Thomas finally separated from the pack during a final round so tight that nine players had at least a share of the lead at some point.
Hovland was three shots behind Thomas when he holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 14th to start his amazing run. He hit 7-iron to a tucked pin on the 16th to 5 feet for birdie, and then made a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th for the lead.
Thomas, who made four birdies in a five-hole stretch to take the lead, made bogey on two of the last three holes and shot 66.
Asian Tour
MACAU, China (AP) — Carlos Ortiz of Mexico made two early birdies and pulled away Sunday for a 6-under 64 and a three-shot victory over Patrick Reed in the International Series Macau, his second Asian Tour title since joining LIV Golf.
Ortiz, Reed and Jason Kokrak — all with LIV Golf — were the top three players and earned spots in the British Open this summer. It will be the first major for Ortiz in two years.
Sergio Garcia finished fourth, one shot away from getting one of the International Finals Qualifying exemptions to the British Open.
Ortiz, who has one victory on LIV Golf, also won the International Series Oman a year ago. He finished at 22-under 258 at Macau Golf and Country Club and earned $360,000.
PGA Tour Champions
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Miguel Angel Jimenez became the first multiple winner on the PGA Tour Champions this year when he chipped to within a foot for birdie on the par-5 18th for a 4-under 67 and a one-shot victory in the Hoag Classic.
The 61-year-old Jimenez also won the Trophy Hassan II in Morocco in February.
This one came down to the wire. Jimenez and Freddie Jacobsen were tied at 14-under par, with Stewart Cink having just birdied the 18th hole ahead of them for a 65 to join them.
Jacobsen missed well to the right and was unable to get up-and-down for birdie. Jimenez came up just short of the green, leaving him a simple chip that he executed perfectly. Jacobsen missed his 25-foot birdie putt and shot 67 to share second place with Cink.
Fred Couples, who started the final round tied for the lead with Jimenez, only managed one birdie and shot 71 to tie for eighth, four shots behind.
European tour
SINGAPORE (AP) — Richard Mansell of England claimed his first European title Sunday when he two-putted from about 100 feet for birdie on the 18th hole for a 6-under 66 and a one-shot victory in the Porsche Singapore Classic.
Mansell, who started the final round one shot behind, ran off five straight birdies on the front nine to take the lead. His final birdie gave him the title over Keita Nakajima of Japan, who closed with a 65.
The tournament was reduced to 54 holes because of rain that washed out play on Thursday.
Tom McKibbin of Northern Ireland, who gave up a PGA Tour card this year to join LIV Golf, had a 68 and tied for third with Adrien Saddier of France, who also shot 68.
Other tours
Quim Vidal of Spain closed with a 1-under 71 and defeated Joshua Berry with a birdie on the third playoff hole to win the Delhi Challenge for his fifth title on Europe’s Challenge tour. ... Mimi Rhodes of England won her first Ladies European Tour title with a 2-under 69 for a two-shot victory over Kirsten Rudgeley of Australia in the Ford Women’s NSW Open. ... James Conran closed with a 7-under 65 for a one-shot victory in the Heritage Classic on the PGA Tour of Australasia. ... George Coetzee shot 3-under 69 and won The Serengeti Playoffs by three shots over Daniel van Tonder on the Sunshine Tour of South Africa.
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The Associated Press
