McIlroy happy to have “amazing" Hovland in Ryder Cup team after Norwegian fires sensational 61 to win in Chicago
Viktor Hovland. Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America
Rory McIlroy can't wait to see Viktor Hovland in the Ryder Cup after watching the Norwegian fire a scintillating course record nine-under 61 to win the BMW Championship in Chicago.
The Holywood star was hit and miss on the greens again as he shot what looked like a pedestrian four-under 66 to finish five shots behind playing partner Hovland on 12-under in solo fourth.
But the world number two still remained third in the FedExCup standings and goes into this week's Tour Championship feeling good about his chances of winning a record fourth FedExCup title.
"I felt like I played very average out there next to Viktor," McIlroy confessed after watching Hovland make seven birdies in a homeward nine of 28 that included eight threes to win by two shots from new FedExCup leader Scottie Scheffler and England's Matthew Fitzpatrick on 17-under.
"He played amazing. Yeah, he played incredible. I was marking his card in there and I'm like, oh, you only made one four on the back nine, the rest threes, so it adds up to a nice little 28 for him. It was great to see. He played great.
"I sort of realised around like 14, 15 something pretty special was happening, and he played a great round of golf."
Scheffler birdied the 13th to go five-under for the day and lead by two before being overhauled down the stretch by Hovland, who went out in three-under but then birdied the 10th, 11th and 12th before following further birdies at the 14th and 15th to get to within one of the American.
He then made an eight-footer at the 17th to draw level and when and seven-footer at the 18th to find himself two clear as Scheffler three-putted the 16th and made bogey en route to a 66 that left him two behind alongside Fitzpatrick, who also shot 66.
McIlroy turned in one-under 34 after following birdies at the first and fifth with a bogey at the ninth.
But while he made birdies at the 13th, 15th and 16th coming home, he missed a string of chances on the greens— including a four-footer for eagle at the 15th— and admitted he may revert to his old putter at East Lake.
"Played good tee to green," McIlroy said of his week. "Missed a lot of chances. Sort of a similar story to last week in Memphis.
"Yeah, we'll see. I'm going to go home for a couple of nights and come back up to Atlanta Tuesday, work on my game a little bit for a day and a half, and go try to win another FedExCup."
As for his putter, he remains undecided on which model to use after enduring two mixed weeks in a row.
"I might dabble with the Spider again on Tuesday and Wednesday at the TOUR Championship," he said. "I felt like I hit good putts. Again, I holed some really good putts and I missed some short ones, and sort of hard here with the short ones and how much break they had and with the grain sort of -- I always felt like I was aiming too high and then I'd miss them low because I just couldn't commit to aiming it so far outside the hole.
"Getting back on greens that I know pretty well and pretty confident on next week, I'm looking forward to that."
He's certainly full of confidence in his long game heading to East Lake, where he has won three times since 2016.
"Yeah, I'm playing great tee to green, the best I've played in a long time," McIlroy said. "Going to have to drive the ball probably a little straighter, but I felt like I found something on the back nine there today to go into next week. But overall, I'm in a really good position going into next week, so excited for it."
He goes into the season-ending event ranked third in the FedExCup behind Scheffler and Hovland, whose form is only good news for European Ryder Cup skipper Luke Donald.
"Yeah, absolutely amazing golf, amazing playing," McIlroy said of Hovland, who won the Memorial Tournament and contended for the PGA CHAMPIONSHIP at Oak Hill.
"Look, he's had some great wins already this year. Had a great chance at the PGA Championship. Didn't quite get it done, but yeah, he's a world-class player and looking forward to him being on my team for the Ryder Cup in a few weeks' time.
"He just keeps his foot on the pedal. Just isn't scared. Just keeps going forward, keeps going at it.
"The things that people don't realise, you get into that position, the second shot on 17, to pitch it where he pitched it right by the pin, you look at where Scottie hit his, lands it five, seven yards short of the pin, it spins back and he's got a tricky -- Viktor just keeps his foot on the gas."
There will be seven Europeans at East Lake with Hovland and McIlroy long-time FedExCup leader Jon Rahm, who fell to fourth, Matt Fitzpatrick (10th), Tommy Fleetwood (11th), Tyrrell Hatton (28th) and Sepp Straka (30th).
But there is no place for Séamus Power, who fell from 35th to 41st and now needs to do something special in the Omega European Masters in Switzerland next week to force his way into Donald's thoughts for one of six wildcards.
After going to 28th in the world late last year to put himself in pole position for a Ryder Cup debut, the West Waterford man has not registered a top 10 finish in 2023 and fallen outside the world's top 50 after missing five of 20 cuts.
