Tag: Josh Teater

After an illustrious amateur career, Viktor Hovland hasn’t wasted any time living up to the hype. In just his 17^th PGA Tour start, Hovland notched his first victory, drilling a 30-foot birdie at the 72^nd hole to edge Josh Teater by one stroke and win the Puerto Rico Open. Was it excitement or relief to win after a wild day, he was asked?

“It’s excitement, for sure,” said Hovland, the 2018 U.S. Amateur champion, who finished at 20-under 268 at Grand Reserve Country Club. “It’s incredible. It’s a special feeling.”

PUERTO RICO OPEN: Leaderboard

For much of the final round, Hovland didn’t have his best stuff, which produced a sizzling 8-under 64 on Saturday and his first 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour. He skated along with all pars on the front nine except for a birdie at the fifth.

What a way to capture your first win …

Jubilation for Viktor Hovland. 🙌#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/9UPopzvOuY

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 23, 2020

Teater, the 40-year-old journeyman, was seeking his first victory, too, and he caught Hovland for a moment with three birdies in his first six holes, but gave two strokes back with bogeys at Nos. 10 and 11. When Hovland’s second shot at No. 10 sailed long, he chipped in for a birdie and a three-stroke lead. It looked like the Norwegian, who was part of a national championship-winning team at Oklahoma State, the low amateur at the 2019 Masters and U.S. Open and a former No. 1-ranked amateur, would be able to cruise to his maiden victory.

Not so fast.

At the par-3 11^th, Hovland missed badly to the right with his tee shot. He duffed his pitch from a tight lie and compounded his error by decelerating on the next and missed a 5-footer. It added up to a triple bogey and his lead had evaporated.

“I just suck at chipping,” Hovland told Golf Channel after the round through laughter. “I was 100% exposed there.”

Hovland slipped into a three-way tie with Teater and Kyle Stanley, who birdied five of the first six holes to get into the mix. But Stanley made bogeys coming home at the two par 5s – Nos. 15 and 18 – and closed in 68 to share third with Emiliano Grillo and Sam Ryder.

Teater was the only player to take advantage of Hovland’s generosity. He reached the 15th in two and made birdie to take a one-stroke at 18 under. But it didn’t last long. Hovland, playing one group behind, came up short to the right with his second at 15.

Just as a rainstorm arrived, Hovland’s short game didn’t let him down this time. He pitched in for eagle, pumping his fist and flashing a wide smile. He regained the lead at 19 under. Teater responded by rolling in a 12-foot birdie putt at 17, but his 15-foot birdie putt at 18 came up inches short. He tapped in for a 3-under 69, and his fourth straight round in the 60s.

“I knew it was going to be slower because of the rain but, I had it right on lie,” Teater said. “It was a great week for me.”

It turned out Teater’s great week wasn’t good enough. He heard through a walkie-talkie that Hovland had sunk his birdie putt for a closing 2-under 70 before Teater could see it on the screen where he was watching.

“Hats off to Viktor. That was a great putt,” Teater said. “He’s a great player and we’re going to see him do that a lot more often.”

Hovland joins an elite group of players who since 2014 posted their first tour victory at the age of 22, after Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Hideki Matsuyama.

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