Viktor Hovland makes hole-in-one on TPC Sawgrass’ eighth hole

THE OVERVIEW For a minute there, a few people started to lose sight of Brandt Snedeker. Injuries and a winless run of more than two years meant he fell into the shadows of consciousness while others stepped up to fill the breach. Despite the fact he was still playing decent golf, he could feel it. But the 37-year-old and past FedExCup champion was not ready to be forgotten, as he re-announced himself with his sublime efforts at the Wyndham Championship. There he opened with a famous 11-under 59, becoming the 10th and most recent member of the very exclusive (sub-60) club. He would go on to win the ninth title of his PGA TOUR career. Not content to stop there, he has already notched up a runner-up finish in the new season, falling in a playoff to Kevin Tway at the Safeway Open. He now has his sights set on a return to the TOUR Championship and another FedExCup title. His last trip to East Lake came in 2016 – a stat that does not sit well with a man with six trips to the Playoffs finale in the FedExCup era. His trademark putting remains his strength as he’s running fourth in Strokes Gained: Putting through the fall series and was ranked 16th on TOUR last season. As long as he can find the greens in regulation, Sneds is going to be a threat wherever he tees it up. — By Ben Everill Click here to see who else made the Top 30 list. BY THE NUMBERS FEDEXCUP UPDATE Current 2018-19 position: 18th Playoff appearances: 11 TOUR Championship appearances: 6 Best FedExCup result: Won the FedExCup in 2012. SHOTLINK FUN FACT In shooting 59 in the opening round of the 2018 Wyndham Championship, Brandt Snedeker became the fifth player to shoot a sub-60 round and go on to win. INSIDER INSIGHTS PGATOUR.COM’s Insiders offer their expert views on what to expect from Brandt Snedeker in 2019. TOUR INSIDER: After a small lull in his career mainly brought on by injury, Snedeker looks set to find his place back among the elite. The performance at Wyndham last season was epic and just another display of putting brilliance we have become accustomed to. The fire is clearly back in his belly and as such, don’t be surprised to see a 10th TOUR win soon. — By Ben Everill FANTASY INSIDER: Riddled with injuries for the last several years, he’s remained a dynamic contributor exponentially more than we’ve wailed over his absence at key times. Combine that resolve with a busy schedule and a proven record of hoisting hardware (nine career wins!), he simply doesn’t let us down even amid physical challenges. Continue to invest with confidence when it makes sense, which is often. — By Rob Bolton EQUIPMENT INSIDER: Snedeker has been using a White Hot XG Rossie putter (34 inches) for years now, and it’s still in the bag. That’s not likely to change anytime soon. That being said, Snedeker doesn’t mind switching it up when it comes to other clubs in his bag. Snedeker won the 2018 Wyndham with a new Bridgestone Tour B JGR proto driver, and a Graphite Design Tour AD-IZ shaft, but he’s since switched to a TaylorMade M3 with a Fujikura Speeder shaft. Snedeker also currently plays with Bridgestone J15CB irons, and a combo of J40 and J15 wedges. — By Andrew Tursky STYLE INSIDER: Snedeker rarely misses a beat when it comes to style. Consistently sharp looks with contemporary fits are his trademark. While he favors a traditional style, he embraces the latest trends and isn’t afraid to dial up vibrant colors to give his outfits some pop. His best fashion move lately has been the addition of G/FORE’s saddle shoes. The modern take on this classic silhouette is a perfect fit for Brandt’s style. — By Greg Monteforte

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GREENSBORO, N.C. – The way Viktor Hovland sees it, he has nothing to lose on Sunday. Win the Wyndham Championship, and the 21-year-old Norwegian barely three months removed from taking classes at Oklahoma State will be the newest-minted PGA TOUR member. He’ll be headed to New York City for THE NORTHERN TRUST and the FedExCup Playoffs. Should he finish in a two-way tie for second or better, he’ll have his TOUR card. If not, Hovland will have earned enough FedExCup points as a non-member to head to the Korn Ferry Tour finals where he’ll have another chance to earn playing privileges on TOUR for the 2019-20 season. Any of the three scenarios are well within the realm of possibility for Hovland, who shot a third-round 64 that moved him into a tie for fourth at 14 under, just three strokes off the lead held by Ben An. “To be in the spot where I am right now after college, that’s a pretty good spot to be in,â€� Hovland said. “I just try to take advantage of it.â€� Hovland, who earned low amateur honors at the Masters and U.S. Open this year, is one of several high profile collegians who turned pro this summer. Two of them, Matthew Wolff and Collin Morikawa, have already won on the PGA TOUR – in their third and sixth starts as a pro, respectively. Their stunning success over the last month motivates Hovland. “Obviously, it does help because not even two months ago I played with them in a tournament in a national championship,â€� the Oslo native said. “I played with those guys for two, three years now and it’s cool to see them do really well. “Obviously, that kind of inspires me to think that I can do the same things as they’ve accomplished, but it’s not going to be given to you and you have to go out there and earn it.â€� Hovland, who is playing for pay for just the fifth time this season, teed off 20 minutes before Wolff and quickly climbed the leaderboard with five birdies in his first seven holes. Wolff noticed, and he was glad to see his former Oklahoma State teammate playing well. “It’s cool that he’s still up there,â€� said Wolff, who shot 67 on Saturday and is 11 under. “I already got my card and so did Collin. And so, I guess it’s time for him now. This the last event of the regular season, so hopefully he can make the most of it and join me and Collin in the Playoffs.â€� Hovland’s fast start Saturday had people wondering whether there might be another 59 like the one Brandt Snedeker shot a year ago at Sedgefield Country Club, a Donald Ross gem known for yielding low scores. After the 30 on the front, though, Hovland only managed two more birdies and bogeyed the 14th hole. “I was really feeling it … five under through seven is a good start,â€� Hovland said. “I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to keep that going because I was thinking something special was out there, but after birdie on 18, was nice to kind of give myself some confidence going into tomorrow.â€� Hovland led the field in three Strokes Gained categories – Off The Tee, Approach The Green and Total – on Saturday. Through three rounds, he ranks first in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and second in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green. He’s also first in driving distance and proximity to the hole. His putter has been inconsistent, though, which Hovland hopes to shore up on Sunday. He took 31 putts on Thursday, 29 on Friday and 26 in the third round. “Overall, I feel like I’m hitting it pretty good,â€� said Hovland, who has shot 64, 65 and 64 in the final round of his last three events. “There were a couple of bad shots here and there today, missed on a couple wrong sides I really shouldn’t have. But yeah, if I could make more putts, that would really help. “But it was nice to see some going in earlier in the round and I feel like that kind of gave me some more confidence.â€�

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Bryson DeChambeau had gone 30 consecutive holes without a bogey before things imploded on the back nine for the defending U.S. Open champion. He shot a final-round 6-over 77, finishing in a tie for 26th at Torrey Pines.

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