Viktor Hovland finished runner-up Sunday at the Tour Championship, but not without a little controversy.
The moment in question came with Hovland in the left greenside bunker at East Lake’s par-4 13th hole. After Hovland played his third shot 18 feet past the hole, PGA Tour rules staff was alerted to a potential rules breach.
Rules official Mark Dusbabek said the Tour received multiple inquiries as to whether Hovland grounded his club in the sand, though as the CBS broadcast showed a zoomed-in, slow-motion replay, Dusbabek said, “It does not appear to us that he has touched the sand.”
"It does not appear to us that he has touched the sand."
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) August 30, 2026
Mark Dusbabek provides some insight on Viktor Hovland's bunker shot at the 13th. pic.twitter.com/O1dtMCb9ll
Hovland went on to bogey the hole, shoot 2-over 72 and finish second, three shots behind winner Scottie Scheffler. Hovland also ended up a shot clear of third-place Ryan Gerard.
“I mean, scoring-wise, I feel like I’m really close,” said Hovland, who wasn’t asked about the bunker shot on No. 13. “If I can just help myself out a little bit, just put the ball in the fairway and have one predictable shot, I feel like I’m going to play some really good golf. It’s just frustrating when I see the same misses coming back time and time again. The first few days, I felt like I still wasn’t swinging it all that great, but the ball went straight. On Sunday or today, I still wasn’t swinging it great, and now the ball went sideways. When that happens, it just doesn’t feel like I could have done much today.
“Just trying to battle it out, and actually proud of the way I was able to will myself into the tournament.”
