Viktor Hovland started Saturday two shots behind the World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, at the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. He ended it one shot ahead.

A two-shot swing on the final hole, Hovland sinking a 6-foot birdie as Scheffler three-putted from 25 feet on the fringe for bogey, gave the Norwegian a 6-under 64 and the outright lead heading into Sunday's final round. Hovland sat at 20 under par after the round.

Speaking in his post-round interview with Golf Channel on X, Viktor Hovland reflected on what the day meant.

"For me to kind of go up against the number one player in the world and in front of so many people out here today, it was really cool to watch and then also just see that my game held up as well," he said.

He got off to a fast start. Three birdies in his first four holes reeled Scheffler in quickly. The pair matched pars through the middle stretch before the 18th hole decided things.

Hovland said Saturday's performance meant a lot after a difficult few years. Since winning the Tour Championship in 2023, he has struggled to find his best form.

He made several swing changes, changed coaches, and kept working to improve his game. Hovland also ended his long-time partnership with coach Joe Mayo and worked with different instructors as he searched for a swing he could trust again.

Scottie Scheffler Still in the Hunt and So Is the Field

Hovland cautioned after his round that Sunday won't simply be a two-man race. At 15 under, Patrick Cantlay and Akshay Bhatia sit five shots back, but TPC River Highlands is a course that allows for low scoring and dynamic finishes.

Scottie Scheffler, meanwhile, is no stranger to rallying at this venue, and he wasn't reading too much into the one-shot deficit.

"This is a golf course where you can see some numbers be shot," Hovland said, per ASAP Sports Transcript.

"Going into tomorrow, just try to execute, have a good round, and see where that puts me."

A year ago at the same tournament, Scottie Scheffler opened with a triple bogey, shot 72, and fell nine shots behind before coming back to win.

Scheffler has already proven at this venue that a big comeback is possible. So, his history here frames Sunday as anything but secure for Hovland

Hovland believes players at 14 or 15 under are still very much in the tournament, and that he and Scheffler need to replicate Saturday's level to keep the field at bay.

Hovland has yet to post a round worse than 65 all week. He shot 61 on Friday and followed it with a 64 on Saturday.

Sunday brings Hovland and Scheffler together again, this time with a title on the line.

Do you think Hovland can hold off Scheffler and win on Sunday? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Koushik Biswas