ORLANDO, FLORIDA (AP) – It’s not often that a player can identify the exact moment when things go awry, but it was as plain as a spring afternoon for Viktor Hovland.
Hovland’s tee shot at the par-3 17th hole, where he was tied for the lead after 16 holes, landed in a bunker in front of the green. He could only manage a shot to 50 feet from a tricky downhill lay, resulting in a two-putt bogey. It was horrible luck, and it was a microcosm of his Arnold Palmer Invitational week.
He went 3-for-13 in sand saves for the week, putting him 73rd in the field out of 77 players who made the cut.
“It is what it is,” says the narrator. “Don’t hit in the bunkers,” advised Hovland, who tied for second place with a 74. “I’m not a huge supporter of adding sand to the bunkers just before a tournament.”
“It’s the same for everyone,” says the narrator. It’s just a shame I hit a bad shot on 17, because that was the lie I drew.”
