Hovland birdies 18, leaps Scheffler atop Travelers Championship - ESPN

CROMWELL, Conn. — Viktor Hovland feels he is headed in the right direction, and Saturday at the Travelers Championship was a big test. He played alongside Scottie Scheffler on a course that features plenty of water and shots that can cause some stress.

A two-shot swing on the 18th hole — Hovland made a 6-foot birdie, Scheffler three-putted from 25 feet on the fringe for bogey — gave the Norwegian star a 6-under 64 and a one-shot lead over the world's No. 1 player.

«Just had a great time,» Hovland said. «It's been a while since I've been in this position. To go head-to-head against the best player in the world and pull off some great shots, it was just a lot of fun.»

The support he had in the crowd was a pleasant surprise.

Scheffler is enormously popular, and the TPC Highlands had a vocal gallery. Hovland had plenty of support from a Norway contingent that drove over from Boston after a World Cup loss to France. Hovland gave those fans plenty of opportunity to do the «row» that has become so popular in the stadium and subway stations and wherever they gather.

Hovland knows it well. Oddly enough, it was the first time he had seen it live.

«I mean, we're Vikings, so it's kind of in our DNA,» Hovland said. «It's kind of funny; that's the first time I've ever seen it. I think that's the first time we've ever done it, especially in the World Cup. So yeah, it took us 1,000 years to figure it out. I think it's pretty cool.»

«Row, row, row!» they chanted as Hovland approached the 18th green. Those were followed by «USA! USA!» chants. It was good banter on a Saturday afternoon in New England, an example of why partisan cheering in a World Cup year is far more palatable than a Ryder Cup year.

It was the second straight year