PGA Tour golfer Viktor Hovland has been chasing something this season: form, feel, trust in his swing. Through a career-best 54-hole score at the Travelers Championship, he found all three at once. 

Hovland posted rounds of 65-61-64 to reach 20-under par through three rounds of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.

According to PGA Tour Communications, posted on X on June 27, this 54-hole total is the lowest opening three rounds on the 2026 PGA Tour.

The previous best was 192 by Si Woo Kim at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and Gary Woodland at the Texas Children's Houston Open.

"It's been a while since I've been in this position," Hovland said after his third round, per the ASAP Sports transcript.

"To go head-to-head against the best player in the world and pull off some great shots, it was just a lot of fun."

The pairing with world No. 1 Scheffler elevated the stakes and showcased Hovland's readiness for Sunday's final round.

Hovland spent Saturday's round alongside world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. He heads into Sunday one shot clear of Scheffler, with the rest of the field five back.

Hovland acknowledged the gap is not as comfortable as it looks on a course that rewards low scores.

"Fourteen- or 15-under is still very much in this thing if they go and shoot a very low score tomorrow," he said. "We still have to go out there and play very similar to what we did today. Otherwise, we're bringing in a lot more guys."

His Saturday 64 included a stretch of pressure-filled decisions. He pointed to the 13th hole as the one that stayed with him most. "That's the one that comes to mind," Hovland said.

He also described what drives his confidence on the course. "As soon as I find a certain feel that I can trust and it produces a pretty reliable shot shape, I know that I'm going to be able to score pretty well from there."

Hovland has won twice on the PGA Tour. Both wins came the week after a missed cut.

Missed Cut, Then Victory: Viktor Hovland's Pattern Repeats

Hovland missed the cut at last week's U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. He addressed it on Saturday. 

"A couple of weeks ago, I finished third in Canada and felt like I was on the right track, and just scored horribly last week and just didn't feel super comfortable," he said.

"But was seeing a lot of progress. So then, getting into this week, I feel like I could easily turn it into a really good week," Hovland added in the same press conference.

Hovland's last two PGA Tour wins both came the week after he missed the cut. When asked why that keeps happening, he said there is no clear reason because it has only happened twice.

However, Hovland added that missing the cut may give him extra motivation to play better the following week. 

Hovland also drew attention away from the scorecard Saturday with a rowing gesture on the course, prompting questions from reporters. "We're Vikings, so it's kind of in our DNA," he said.

TPC River Highlands’ final holes can swing momentum. Clean tee shots and smart course management there will likely decide the trophy.

Do you think Viktor Hovland can hold off Scottie Scheffler and win the Travelers Championship on Sunday? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Koushik Biswas