Gooch and Horschel share Bay Hill lead as Hovland falters and McIlroy drifts

Viktor Hovland held a four-shot lead for a Saturday afternoon spell at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. As the opposition wilted, it appeared a straightforward case of the young Norwegian’s march towards the summit of world golf continuing courtesy of a seventh professional victory. Not so fast, declared Bay Hill.

By close of play, Hovland sat one adrift of Billy Horschel and Talor Gooch. Hovland’s 74 – he missed a par putt from 11ft on the last – means a six-under-par aggregate. He was minus 10 when leading all around him a merry dance. As is typical, this event is incredibly hard to call. Horschel is the man with momentum; his back nine of 34 was one better than Gooch and superior to Hovland by six.

On a wonderfully compacted leaderboard, it would be unwise to discount anybody within half a dozen shots. Keeping the ball on the fairway remains the key to happiness. “The rough is US Open rough out here,” said Gary Woodland, who is four under. “It’s brutal.” Scottie Scheffler is one ahead of Woodland.

For so long, Hovland stood firm. He dropped shots in each of his first two holes, offset by a fantastic hole-out from a bunker for an eagle at the 6th. Hovland’s birdie at the 8th felt like more than a one-shot boost, given the troubles of others on the leaderboard at the same hole.

Yet Bay Hill becomes increasingly treacherous as darkness edges closer. This proved as good as it got for Hovland. Aberrations at the 11th and 14th allowed Gooch to move within one and Horschel to sit only two adrift. When Hovland made bogey at the 17th, he found himself in a tie. Horschel reached seven under with a terrific birdie converted from the fringe of the 18th green.

“It would be very special to win here,” said Horschel. “I grew up an