The FedEx BMW Championship came to a close on Sunday afternoon at Olympia Fields Golf Course located just 30 miles south of the “Windy City.” Playing at 7,366 yards, the par 70 course played long and continued to challenge players throughout the entire four rounds.
Inclement weather during the first two rounds caused players to readjust their game plans as water-soaked fairways and greens affected ball movement on both greens and fairways. The tree lined fairways and narrow landing areas found most drives landing in the rough or bunkers requiring players to muscle out second shots towards the greens rather than the pins.
In spite of these obstacles, the course record (62) was tied on Friday by Max Homa and again on Saturday by Sam Burns.
The weather on Sunday changed the whole demeanor of the course when bright sunny skies, with a warm summer breeze, gave the players all of the ingredients they needed to make the final round a true championship event.
This year’s BMW Championship winner was Viktor Hovland -17 who picked up a check for $3.6 million and another 2,000 FedEx points. Scottie Scheffler -15 and Matt Fitzpatrick -15 finished tied for 2nd and will split both the 2nd and 3rd Place money and points. Both will receive checks for $1.76 million and 980 points.
CBS Sports Commentator, Amanda Renner caught up with Viktor Hovland before the awards ceremony and started the conversation with this question, “The best final round in FedExCup history, where does this one ring for you to get it done next Sunday?” He responded, “I didn’t give it much thought, but it was the best round I’ve ever played and given the circumstances, a playoff event at this golf course, and finished the way that I did the last nine holes was pretty special.”
Renner then asked, “Making seven birdies on the back nine talk about that.” Viktor said, “I was trying to play more conservative going into the greens, it just kind of worked out that way. I think it was more of a mindset thing. I think instead of ‘Oh my God I got a chance to win, I need a birdie this hole, I need a birdie this hole, I need a birdie this hole’ to have a chance. It was more just OK, what’s the right decision right here now and then commit to it. Obviously, I hit some great shots I got a couple of nice bounces and and the putts went in. I was just trying to make the best decision on every single shot.”
Renner finished, “Not a bad Sunday here at the BMW championship. You are our champion. We’ll see you next week at East Lake.”
Viktor Hovland joined the PGA Tour in 2020. He’s originally from Oslo Norway and attended Oklahoma State University. He currently has five career wins including the 2023 Memorial Tournament and the 2023 FedEx BMW Championship, along with six Top 10 Finishes in the 2022-2023 season. His official Career Earnings are $25,603,977.
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