Hovland beats Scheffler in playoff, celebrates with Norwegian fans in Viking rowing ceremony

Viktor Hovland of Norway won the Travelers Championship — the final signature event of the PGA Tour season — defeating Scottie Scheffler of the United States in a sudden-death playoff after the finish was pushed back a day by sunset.

Hovland clinched the title Monday local time on the 18th hole (par 4) at TPC River Highlands (par 70) in Cromwell, Connecticut. He drained a 2.4-meter birdie putt, while Scheffler missed his 1.2-meter birdie attempt, the ball grazing the left edge of the cup.

The 18th hole was ringed by fans wearing Norway's 2026 FIFA World Cup jerseys when the playoff was held. Hovland joined them in the Viking rowing celebration, sharing the moment with his compatriots in the gallery.

Known as "The Viking Row," the celebration has become a viral global meme during the 2026 World Cup, spreading rapidly as a fan chant and gesture.

The victory earned Hovland $3.6 million in prize money (about 5.55 billion won), his first win of the season and the eighth of his PGA Tour career. "I thought if I made my putt first, it would make his putt a lot harder," Hovland said in his post-round interview. "There was absolutely no gamesmanship in it, so it was really cool to put that pressure on him."

Scheffler was gracious in defeat. "I've been playing golf with Viktor for a long time," he said. "When you see someone work that hard and compete that hard, you're always happy to see them succeed."

Scheffler had kept his hopes alive in the final round Sunday by holing a tricky 2-meter par putt on the 18th, only to miss a far shorter birdie putt in the playoff. The two finished tied at 21 under par, 259 total, and the playoff was delayed a day to Monday local time due to sunset.