BMW Championship: Viktor Hovland overtakes Scottie Scheffler with perfect back nine to grab win

Viktor Hovland’s back nine at Olympia Fields Cuntry Club on Sunday was absolutely incredible.

Hovland, who was four shots back when he made the turn, erupted down the stretch. He made seven birdies on the back side and overtook Scottie Scheffler with a clutch birdie at the last to win the BMW Championship.

Hovland posted a course-record 61 in his final round, thanks to a 28 on the back nine, and made 10 birdies on the day. The win marked the fifth of his career and his second this season. It jumped him to No. 2 in the FedExCup standings headed into the Tour Championship next week at East Lake, too.

"I don't think I have to think too long," Hovland said on CBS. "It definitely has to be the best round I've ever played given the circumstances ... It's pretty special."

Max Homa flew ahead after a historic round on Friday. He posted an 8-under 62 in the second round, which set the course record at Olympia Fields and gave him a two-shot lead. He did it with two bogeys on the day, too. But Homa stalled out on Saturday, thanks largely to an early triple-bogey, which opened the door for Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick.

Scheffler carded an 8-under 64 on Saturday to grab a share of the lead with Fitzpatrick at 11-under. It marked his first time with at least a share of the lead after 54 holes since he won The Players Championship earlier this season. Scheffler made seven birdies on the day, including one at the par-5 15th that he set up with a wild driver off the deck approach.

Scheffler picked up right where he left off on Sunday. He made two birdies in his first three holes of the day — he was just a few inches from an eagle-hole out at the third — and he made the turn with a share of the lead.

While Scheffler made three birdies and a bogey on his first four holes of the back side, which suddenly gave him a two shot lead, Hovland was on a run of his own a few groups ahead. He made three straight birdies at the turn, and then joined Scheffler at 16-under after sinking a nine-foot putt at the 17th.

Then at the 18th, Hovland was perfect. He stuck his approach to about six feet from the cup and expertly made the putt, which set the new course record and gave him his first lead of the day.

As Hovland sat down in the clubhouse, Scheffler then bogeyed the 17th — which gave Hovland a two shot lead and eventually the win.

Scheffler finished in second at 15-under. Fitzpatrick, who bogeyed at the last, took third at 14-under on the week. His final bogey pushed Hovland to second in the FedExCup standings, and actually gave Scheffler the No. 1 spot. Rory McIlroy took fourth at 12-under, and both Homa and Brian Harman finished T5 at 11-under.

Hovland has won twice now this season, following his playoff victory at the Memorial Tournament in June. He hasn’t missed a single cut all season, and went T13 at both the British Open and the FedEx St. Jude Championship in his last two outings. The 25-year-old entered the week ranked No. 5 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Tour Championship starting positions

The top 30 golfers in the FedExCup standings have qualified for the Tour Championship next week at East Lake in Atlanta. That tournament features the only staggered start on Tour. With his win on Sunday in Chicago, Hovland jumped to No. 2 in the standings.

That means that Scheffler, despite not pulling off the win, will start at 10-under next week, two shots over the rest of the field.

Here’s a look at the starting positions for next week’s season finale.

10-under: Scottie Scheffler

8-under: Viktor Hovland

7-under: Rory McIlroy

6-under: Jon Rahm

5-under: Lucas Glover

4-under: Max Homa, Patrick Cantlay, Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark, Matt Fitzpatrick

3-under: Tommy Fleetwood, Russell Henley, Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele

2-under: Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Tony Finau, Corey Conners, Si Woo Kim

1-under: Taylor Moore, Nick Taylor, Adam Schenk, Collin Morikawa, Jason Day

Even: Sam Burns,, Emiliano Grillo, Tyrrell Hatton, Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka

This post will be updated with more information shortly.