Despite a Massive Deficit, 7x PGA Tour Champion Strives to Emulate Rory McIlroy Amid the $75M Title Race

The final event of the FedEx Cup playoffs is almost on its final leg, and the competition worth $75 million is getting fierce. The golfers in the mix are doing every ounce of hard work to emerge victorious in the race! After all, who doesn’t want to win after three consecutive weeks of hard work, determination, and ferocious competition?

Only the final round of the Tour Championship is left, and the leaderboard at East Lake looks quite interesting. The Norwegian star, Viktor Hovland sits at the top, and just below him sits the 7X PGA Tour pro. In order to leave Hovland behind on Sunday, the golfer will have to do something grand, and historic just like Rory McIlroy did back in 2022. 

7x PGA Tour pro reveals his Rory McIlroy-approved game plan to defeat Viktor Hovland

 In 2022, Rory McIlroy won the FedEx Cup for the third time in his career and created history. He overcame the 6-shot deficit that he had as compared to Scottie Scheffler at that time. His victory was an example of a sensational comeback that golfers and fans got to witness. The Irish golfer’s comeback marked the largest final-round comeback in Tour Championship history. 

This year, the situation on the leaderboard is just the same, but with different players. Hovland is in the first position with an overall score of -20, and Xander Schauffele is at number 2 with 6 shots under. In the press conference after the third round, an interviewer presented a question: Does the golfer think that he will be able to emulate what McIlroy did last year?

The 29-year-old golfer seemed confident as he answered the question affirmatively. He said that he is anticipating it to go up to 7. Talking about what Hovland might be planning, Schauffele said, “He’ll probably birdie or have an eagle look on the last, based on what I’m looking at right now.”

Talking about his own action plan, the American golfer said that he knows what to do, and while revealing it, he spoke,  “I need to go out and try and put as much pressure on him tomorrow on that front nine.” In his ferocious quest, Schauffele hoped for the “best.”

Read More: Viktor Hovland: A Look Back Into His Tour Championship Career as He Inches Closer to Conquer the $75M Title

Though Schauffele has a game plan, it will not be easy for him to beat Hovland. The golfer has been in stellar form after his win at Olympia Fields and has his eyes set on the prize. After all, the young Norwegian star is looking forward to that awesome feeling of winning. 

Hovland is excited to see his name with the greats 

In his post-round interview on Saturday, Hovland shared with the media that the championship has been like a sprint so far, with things changing rapidly. He said that entering the championship was no less than a marathon. 

He talked about what it would be like to win, and he said that it simply would just be an awesome feeling. There have not been many names in the FedEx Cup winners list, and to write his name in the winning mix would mean a lot to the 25-year-old.

Do not forget to tune in to witness the final result of the 2023 Ryder Cup and see who takes home the trophy and $18 million along with it. It will be enthralling to see if Schauffele is able to emulate McIlroy and defeat Hovland in his game. 

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