Thunderstorm Halts Travelers Championship Final Round – Scheffler and Hovland Head to Monday Playoff

The 2026 Travelers Championship still has no winner after 72 holes. A severe thunderstorm interrupted the final round at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, preventing a decision from being reached on Sunday. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Norway’s Viktor Hovland will face off on Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. ET (3:00 p.m. CEST) in a sudden-death playoff—both finished the regular 72 holes at 21 under Par (259).

Click here for the leaderboard of the 2026 Travelers Championship.

72 Holes Fail to Produce a PGA Tour Winner

After four days of top-class golf at TPC River Highlands, one thing is certain: there is no official winner. Scheffler and Hovland finished the 72 holes with identical Scorecards—both at 21 under Par. Scheffler made the decisive Putt on the final 18th hole: The world No. 1 sank a Par putt from just under 2.7 meters, thereby forcing a playoff. A long Birdie attempt from over eight meters had previously missed the hole.

Behind them, Collin Morikawa finished in third place at 20 under Par with a brilliant final round of 61 strokes (nine under Par)—he was the only top contender who was able to complete his round before the thunderstorm interruption. Matt Fitzpatrick finished fourth at 19 under Par with a round of 64. U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark and Akshay Bhatia tied for fifth place at 18 under Par.

The Thunderstorm Delay

What was brewing over the state of Connecticut on Sunday afternoon would have a lasting impact on the tournament. At 5:57 p.m. local time, the organizers suspended play due to the risk of lightning—the last duo, Scheffler and Hovland, was on its way to the 14th tee at that moment, having completed only 13 of the 18 holes. A total of 1.12 inches of rain fell, softening the greens and making conditions more challenging when play resumed at 7:20 p.m. ET.

The crowd, however, refused to be driven away by the storm. Hundreds of fans remained on the course—including a boisterous group of Norwegian fans whose flags and chants clearly evoked the atmosphere of a soccer World Cup. One spectator provided a particularly memorable moment when he lay down in a huge puddle on the grass and made a “snow angel”—much to the delight of the crowd around him.

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The dramatic finale

Before the suspension, Scheffler had the match firmly under control. With a Birdie on the par-5 13th hole from about twelve meters, he pulled ahead to 21 under par and led by two strokes. The break, however, brought a turning point.

“The conditions were completely different after we resumed play. It was hard to gauge how the ball would come out of the wet grass. Then it got dark quickly, too,” Scheffler said after the round.

Hovland used the interruption as a mental reset. As early as the 14th hole, he sank a Birdie putt from the edge of the green and closed the gap to 20 under. On the short par-4 15th hole—just 298 yards long and thus potentially reachable with a Driver—both players hit a Fairway Wood toward the flag. Scheffler narrowly missed the green but chipped precisely to within 2.5 meters and saved Par. Hovland, on the other hand, played an excellent chip and sank the Birdie putt from just under 1.2 meters—tying the score at 21 under.

Hole 17 offered Scheffler the chance to retake the lead: A brilliant approach shot from 173 meters left the ball about 3.3 meters from the hole—but the Birdie putt grazed the edge and rolled away. So both players headed into the final 18th hole tied.

There, Hovland initially had the better starting position: He hit the middle of the fairway, while Scheffler sent his tee shot into the Rough on the right. Hovland played a pitching Wedge to just over seven meters, and Scheffler, from a more difficult spot, also got within putting distance. It came down to a showdown: Scheffler putted from 8.2 meters and missed the hole by a wide margin. Hovland now had a chance to win the tournament from 7.3 meters—but his putt stopped just short of the hole. Scheffler had to sink his comeback putt from 2.7 meters to force a playoff. He did just that—and celebrated with a rare fist pump in the air.

Comments from the protagonists

Scheffler appeared relieved but level-headed after the evening. “It’s nice to sink those putts and stay in the tournament. It’s more fun when you sink the putts that let you win—but staying in the game isn’t bad either. I’m taking it one day at a time until tomorrow, and I’ll head out early to see what I can do,” said the world No. 1.

Hovland paid tribute to his opponent after the 18th hole: “You can see why he’s the world number one—that Putt on the last hole. I’ll have to give it my all tomorrow.” At the same time, the Norwegian remained confident: “I’ve played a lot of good golf this week, so I feel pretty good. Of course, I would have preferred to settle it in regulation, but having the chance to win tomorrow—that feels good.”

Hovland was self-critical about his difficult round before the suspension: “At the start of the day, I probably would have hoped for a little more than just under Par. I was out of rhythm, had some good shots and some bad ones, and couldn’t find my flow. So it was nice to walk off the course completely, clear my head—after that, I felt much better."

Monday’s Playoff

On Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. ET, the winner of the 2026 Travelers Championship will be decided on the 18th hole at TPC River Highlands. The format is clear: sudden death—the first player to win a hole takes the title. If the 18th hole ends in a tie, it will be replayed as many times as necessary until a winner is determined. The playoff will be broadcast on Golf Channel and streamed live on Peacock and the NBC Sports app.

For Scheffler, it would be his 21st victory on the PGA Tour —and his first since The American Express at the start of 2026. His playoff record stands at an even 2–2, though he did win the Travelers itself in a playoff against Tom Kim back in 2024. Hovland, on the other hand, has won all of his PGA Tour playoffs so far (1–0)—he celebrated his most recent tournament victory at the 2025 Valspar Championship.

Scheffler vs. Hovland – More Than Just a Showdown

Beyond the purely athletic aspect, this playoff represents two very different career narratives. Since the start of the 2024 season, Scheffler has been the gold standard in world golf—14 wins in just over two years, four major titles, and the undisputed world No. 1. Recently, however, he has gone without a tournament victory, and the question of whether he can find his rhythm at the decisive moment follows him into the playoff.

Hovland, on the other hand, was stuck in a slump for a long time: shot-making issues, swing adjustments, and a long road back. But the 2026 Travelers Championship has now impressively demonstrated that the Norwegian has returned to his best form. As the final signature event of the PGA Tour season, the tournament offers the ideal stage for a potential return to winning ways.

Two players, one hole, one trophy—Cromwell, Connecticut, will see it all play out on Monday morning.