Viktor Hovland finds a swing that works and rallies to beat Justin Thomas at Innisbrook

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 wasn't entirely sure where his shots were going. Frustration was as great as ever when he arrived at Innisbrook thinking he had no chance of winning.

“I honestly did not believe I could do it this week,” he said.

It looked bleak even after 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 at a tucked pin on the 16th hole — the toughest hole on the Copperhead course — to 5 feet for birdie that tied him for the lead.

And then he took dead aim to a back pin on the par-3 17th to 12 feet for birdie, which turned into a two-shot cushion when Thomas faltered late.

Thomas made it a little easier on Hovland. He made four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine and was ahead by three when he walked off the 15th green. But he chose driver on the 16th and hit that into the trees, leaving him no choice but to chip out to the fairway. Thomas had to get up-and-down from a bunker to escape with bogey.

Hovland caught him with his birdie on the 16th, and Thomas was in trouble on the 18th with a drive into deep rough on the left that led to bogey. He was 7 under through 15 holes but had to settle for a 66.

Hovland played it safe on the 18th with a two-shot lead, and his bogey only determined the final margin. He finished at 11-under 273 for his seventh career victory that moves him back into the top 10 in the world.

This one he might not have seen coming.

Hovland spoke openly about the frustrations of his supreme ball-striking becoming a liability. He missed three straight cuts coming into the Valspar Championship, including an 80 in the first round of The Players Championship a week ago. Hovland had not made a 36-hole cut against a full field since the Scottish Open last summer.

So, what happened?

“I've got no idea,” he said with a laugh when his victory was secure.

Jacob Bridgeman, who started with a three-way share of the lead, needed to hole out from the fairway on the 18th to force a playoff. He wound up with a par and finished third.

“I hit a lot of disgusting shots, but they happened to go where I looked,” Hovland said. “Somehow I was able to hit the good shots I can a lot more often.”

There were only great shots down the stretch. Hovland chose to lay up on the 14th — he went for the green in two on Saturday and made bogey — and had to rely on a 12-foot, slippery birdie putt to have any chance. That was a big one to make it.

The pin on the 16th was back right, protected in front and to the right by a bunker, and his shot never left the flag. And then came the shot and birdie putt on the 17th.

Thomas was left to wonder what went wrong. His always hits driver on the 16th and figured the worse he could make was 5. He quickly realized Hovland did plenty of good.

“I've had plenty of chances this season, but nothing quite like that,” said Thomas, whose last victory was the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills.

“I felt so good out there, so excited for every shot,” he said. “Hell, there's not much I can do. He birdied 16 and 17. I obviously made it a lot easier. It's really hard — but really fun — trying to win golf tournaments.”

Bud Cauley (66), Billy Horschel (67) and Ryo Hisatsune (68) tied for fourth. Horschel delivered the most incredible shot at Innisbrook when his ball settled up against a tree on the par-5 fifth hole. He inverted a 9-iron and swung left-handed, hitting it 117 yards onto the green and converting the birdie putt from just outside 30 feet.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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