Hovland surges to a 1-shot lead at Tour Championship with cast of challengers lined up behind him

ATLANTA (AP) — Viktor Hovland finally got a little separation Saturday at the Tour Championship, and all he had to do was finish with six consecutive putts of 7 feet or longer for a 5-under 65. All that got him was a one-shot lead in a season finale very much up for grabs.

Four of those putts were for birdie, two of them for par, all of them important going into a final round at East Lake where every shot can seem so important.

Scoring has felt low. With some of the pins, it hasn't felt easy. Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Aberg each referenced similarities to Aronimink for the PGA Championship, where 28 players were separated by two shots midway through the third round.

Only 29 players are at East Lake and everyone is under par.

Hovland rolled in a pair of 8-foot birdie putts at the end to put him at 15-under 195, one shot ahead of Tour Championship newcomer Ryan Gerard, who played bogey-free for a 66.

Scottie Scheffler (66) and Chris Gotterup (67), who have combined for five PGA Tour titles this year, were three shots behind at 12-under 198. They were joined by sentimental favorite, 46-year-old Adam Scott, and Aberg. Both shot 65 in search of their first win this year.

Also in the mix was Rory McIlroy, who had two bogeys, settled for par on the par-5 closing hole and still shot 63 to get within five shots. He was joined by Cameron Young, whose double bogey on the 10th hole set him back in a round of 68.

“It’s pretty bunched up around 11- and 12-under par there," Hovland said. “I mean, you’ve seen some 62s out there. You can take it low. So it was nice to get a little bit of distance, especially from the group of guys that are around that number. They’re capable of shooting nothing tomorrow. So that gives me a little bit of a cushion for tomorrow. I’m still going to have to bring a nice, solid round."

At stake Sunday is $10 million to the winner, the largest official payoff in golf for a single tournament, and the FedEx Cup title that comes with a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

Hovland won the FedEx Cup in 2023 when he steamrolled through a three-tournament postseason and won the last two. This might not feel the same if he were to win on Sunday, though the Norwegian would happily leave town with two trophies.

Hovland was at his best on the greens coming down the stretch — 11 feet for birdie on the 13th, 18 feet to save par on the 14th, 11 feet for birdie on the peninsula-green 15th, a 7-foot par putt on the 16th and his closing birdies.

Gerard scrambled beautifully, especially on the back nine, birdied both par 5s and stayed in the game for a chance at his first win this year, and possibly an easy decision to be a pick for the Presidents Cup. But it was a big test of patience waiting to a chance to attack.

“Then when you do get that, try to take advantage and step on the gas there a little bit,” he said.

That's what McIlroy did, starting out seven shots behind with little to lose. He figured he would need another round like 63 to even contemplate a fourth FedEx Cup title.

He has been around for all the iterations of resetting points and starting strokes into the season finale. What he can't recall is a traffic jam at the top, or last place being at 3-under par.

“It speaks to the standard of the golfers that are here,” McIlroy said. “But it also speaks to the slightly different test that we are getting after the redesign, as well.”

Scheffler also played bogey-free and rued not taking advantage of a few more birdie chances in the 8- to 12-foot range. But he's right in the mix as he closes out a season of astonishing consistency that leaves him on the cusp of replacing Tiger Woods on the career money list.

In the middle of the congestion was Scott, who has a chance to win for the first time since 2020.

“It’s a good spot — within striking distance,” Scott said. “It’s so congested, though, it’s going to need a really great round. I think there’s someone lurking who’s going to have that.”

This version corrects that Ludvig Aberg, not Adam Scott, made the Aronimink reference.

See AP’s full golf coverage here

Chris Gotterup chips the ball to the first green during the third round of the PGA Tour Championship golf tournament, Saturday, Aug 29, 2026, in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, walks to the fith green during the third round of the PGA Tour Championship golf tournament, Saturday, Aug 29, 2026, in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Ryan Gerard lines up his putt on the first green during the third round of the PGA Tour Championship golf tournament, Saturday, Aug 29, 2026, in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Scottie Scheffler hits from a bunker to the first green during the third round of the PGA Tour Championship golf tournament, Saturday, Aug 29, 2026, in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Viktor Hovland, of Norway, waits to putt on the first green during the third round of the PGA Tour Championship golf tournament, Saturday, Aug 29, 2026, in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Known for two violent wrecks at Daytona International Speedway, Ryan Preece experienced a much different ride at NASCAR's hometown track Saturday night: a trip to victory lane.

Preece won the Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona in overtime to secure the final playoff spot for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.

Preece, who ferociously flipped cars at Daytona in 2023 and again in 2025, moved to the front during a green-white-checkered finish when leader Zane Smith got bumped, started spinning and slammed into other cars on the last lap. Preece took the checkered flag under caution and edged Shane van Gisbergen for the 16th and final berth in the postseason finale.

“This is redemption,” said Preece, whose victory landed two RFK cars into the 16-driver Chase for the championship. Chris Buescher is the other.

“I’m just speechless right now,” Preece said. “Those guys, that 60 (car), we’re fighters. When you put our back against the wall, we swing hard. ... Last year, there were a lot of keyboard warriors saying I was nothing. Well, we just kicked their butts tonight.”

Preece expressed confidence all week, but he found himself needing a victory late to pass Shane van Gisbergen for the last playoff spot. Van Gisbergen finished 27th after pitting during the final caution and taking four tires.

“Shame we’re not in it,” said van Gisbergen, who won twice during the regular season but missed the playoffs under NASCAR's new format that puts more emphasis on season-long results that victories.

Bubba Wallace and Austin Cindric locked up the other two available spots. Wallace, Cindric, van Gisbergen, Preece and Brad Keselowski started the night vying for the final three spots in the 10-race Chase.

Wallace, who was nearly a lock to make the 16-driver field when the green flag dropped, claimed his spot with a seventh-place finish in the opening stage. Cindric avoided trouble all night, finished sixth and advanced without much fanfare.

Daniel Suarez finished second in the race, followed by Michael McDowell, Tyler Reddick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Van Gisbergen won Stage 1 and created more of a cushion on Preece, who was caught up in a three-car crash as he neared the finish line. Preece raced his way back to the front in Stage 2 and picked up much-needed points with a second-place finish behind Ryan Blaney.

But it came down to the final lap. Preece needed to win to get in — and he pulled it off in dramatic fashion.

“I’m a racer. I know what it takes to build speed,” Preece said. “So every man and woman at RFK, thank you for giving me a rocket ship so I could go to the moon tonight.”

Tom Cruise is getting back behind the wheel for a follow-up to “Days of Thunder.” The 64-year-old Cruise announced Saturday at Daytona he will reprise his role as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle.

He said he wants to show audiences “the speed, the excitement and all that danger and stuff.”

Anne Hathaway will co-star as a team owner and engineer in the film scheduled to be released by Paramount Pictures on June 2, 2028.

Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will drive a familiar-looking No. 48 in his final Cup Series start. Johnson unveiled his paint scheme for his Toyota in the 2027 Daytona 500 by driving a ceremonial lap around the track before Saturday’s race. The gray-and-blue scheme melds the three main sponsors during Johnson’s record-setting racing career: Lowe’s, Ally and Carvana.

Johnson’s final start will come in the 69th running of the Daytona 500, scheduled for Feb. 21, 2027. Hendrick Motorsports loaned Johnson the No. 48 for his last ride.

“Seeing this car for the first time brings back a lifetime of memories,” Johnson said.

Riley Herbst was scratched from the race because of “lingering effects” from a crash last weekend. Harrison Burton replaced Herbst in the No. 35 Toyota and finished 12th.

Herbst was involved in a crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last Sunday, with his car backing into the outside barrier before being struck again.

The 10-race Chase for the championship begins at Darlington Raceway next Sunday.

See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Ryan Preece, center, celebrates with his crew after winning the NASCAR auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Chase Elliott (9) leads Ryan Preece (60) through the front stretch at the half way point of the NASCAR auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Actor Tom Crusie exits the building after attending a drivers meeting before a NASCAR auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Shane Van Gisbergen (97) comes in for a pit stop during the NASCAR auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Kyle Larson (5) and Chase Briscoe (19) lead a group through the front stretch during early laps in the NASCAR auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)