Follow us on Google Discover A rules official has claimed that Viktor Hovland did not appear to make any contact with the sand while in the bunker on the 13th hole during the final round of the Tour Championship, in an incident that divided golf fans on social media.
Hovland came agonisingly close to winning his second FedEx Cup title on Sunday at East Lake. The Norwegian had led the way going into the final round in Atlanta.
What did you make of Viktor Hovland avoiding a penalty at the Tour Championship?
The Norwegian appeared to brush the sand with his club during the final round…
However, East Lake provided a much tougher test on Sunday. And Hovland was one of the players who stumbled, which allowed Scottie Scheffler to swoop in and secure his third victory of the season.
There is an argument that it was possibly a good thing for the PGA Tour that Viktor Hovland did not manage to hold off Scheffler’s challenge.
Why Viktor Hovland escaped a penalty during the final round of the Tour Championship
Hovland found the greenside bunker with his second shot into the 13th hole. He ended up making a bogey five, but it could have been worse.
The 2023 FedEx Cup champion clearly got incredibly close to the sand as he addressed his ball for his third shot. There was a camera zoomed right in, and the footage did not look particularly good for the European.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
However, speaking after the incident, rules official Mark Dusbabek cleared Hovland of any wrongdoing.
“We’ve looked at this video, and it does not appear to us that he touched the sand, so it would not be a penalty in this case,” he said.
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Fans react to Viktor Hovland not being penalised on Sunday at East Lake
It is clear that the explanation will not satisfy many of those watching the event. Of course, there has been plenty of discussion about the rules in recent months.
Few will forget the image of Bryson DeChambeau pleading his case with officials during The Open Championship after it was deemed that he improved the lie around his ball on the fifth hole.
And one person on social media alluded to the LIV star’s punishment after hearing of Hovland escaping a penalty, as they wrote: ‘It’s a clear penalty but his name isn’t Bryson – or someone unknown – so it will be ignored‘.
Another said: ‘Were they looking at the same video? There’s clearly an impression behind the ball.‘ Meanwhile, someone else posted: ‘Hovland absolutely grounded that wedge in the bunker….you can see the flat spot!‘
One person added: ‘Not even close. His club left a mark in the sand‘.
Interestingly, some seemed relieved that Hovland was not penalised. It is hard to make the case that he really benefitted even if he did make contact with the sand.
One spectator wrote: ‘Hovland absolutely pushed some sand down with his club on 13. You can see where he did it. Glad they didn’t penalize him though. Probably didn’t affect the shot, want to see him and Scheffler battle‘.
Another said: ‘You can clearly see the mark where Viktor Hovland grounded his club in the sand. That being said I’m glad he’s not getting a penalty. I wanna see a good finish.’
Ultimately, it did not impact who left East Lake with the trophy. Scheffler ended up winning by a significant margin after a brilliant Sunday from the world number one.
Nevertheless, it is not a good look for the PGA Tour when so many are clearly convinced that Hovland got away with one.
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