Despite Ultimately Falling Behind Viktor Hovland at $20M Race, Rory McIlroy Imparts a Special Message for His Ryder Cup Teammate: “Looking Forward…”

It was an exciting finale of sorts on Sunday at the Olympia Fields Country Club where the final round of the BMW Championship took place. Viktor Hovland clinched the title and took home his winner’s cut from the $20 million prize purse as he put up a spectacular performance on the course. Moreover, his stellar showcase with the clubs drew praise from all over the golf world.

And expressing his admiration for the pro golfer was none other than Rory McIlroy. Seeming visibly impressed with his Ryder Cup teammate’s performance, McIlroy was not stingy with his words as he spoke highly of the champ, leaving many fans surprised and in awe. Let’s dive into the story.

Rory McIlroy is all praise for Viktor Hovland

Hovland was able to pull off an amazing performance in the final round which saw him push past Matt Fitzpatrick and Scottie Scheffler to register a massive win. Moreover, his final round saw him marking his name into the annals of history by breaking the course record at Olympia Fields. Meanwhile, McIlroy, who was on his tail after Saturday’s play at T5, could only finish at the 4th position. But even so, he didn’t hesitate in complimenting the 25-year-old for his play.

Addressing a press conference, ‘Rors’ mentioned the “amazing” game of golf that was put up by the Norwegian golfer on Sunday. Applauding the golfer for the second shot that he made on the 17th hole,  Rory said, “He just keeps his foot on the pedal. Just isn’t scared. Just keeps going forward, keeps going at it.”

Although McIlroy touched on how Hovland was not able to convert his performance into a victory at the 2023 PGA Championship where he finished T2 tied with Scheffler, he was quick to express his admiration of the golfer. The Irish professional went on to say how “he’s a world-class player” and how he is “looking forward” to playing with the Norwegian professional at the upcoming Ryder Cup.

Rory was only able to finish behind Fitzpatrick and Scottie Scheffler at T4 with a score of 12-under-par 268. His final round score of 66 (-4) was not enough to push himself to the top as Viktor Hovland came up with an even more amazing display of golf to leave him behind.

Hovland’s qualification for the Ryder Cup

The top three players from the European ranking list along with the three leading golfers in the Official World Golf Rankings automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup. And Viktor was able to cement his position at the No. 5 spot in the OWGR being the third European apart from McIlroy and Jon Rahm to qualify. He emerged victorious at the 2023 Memorial Tournament and has been able to register a top-20 finish in every major he played in the year.

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In the BMW Championship, he was able to carry forward his momentum and confidence as he pulled off an amazing win on the course. The pro golfer began the round behind Scottie and Matt but was able to put up a course-record score of nine-under-par 61 to clinch the title. Earlier in the tournament, Max Homa and Sam Burns had scored 62 (-8) to beat the course record but the event saw the record being broken again as Hovland registered his career-best low score. Moreover, he was able to propel himself to the second position in the FedEx Cup standings.

What did you think of Viktor Hovland’s performance at the playoffs? Do you think he will lift the FedEx Cup or do you have someone else in mind? Let us know in the comments below.

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