Viktor Hovland birdied four of his final six holes to take a one-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of the Tour Championship at East Lake.

The Norwegian shot a 5-under 65 to reach 15-under 195, one ahead of tournament debutant Ryan Gerard. Scottie Scheffler, Chris Gotterup, Adam Scott and Ludvig Åberg share third place at 12-under.

The winner will collect $10 million, the Tour Championship and the FedExCup, along with a five-year PGA Tour exemption. Under the straight 72-hole format, every player began the week at even par.

Hovland Finds His Putting Touch

Hovland finished his round by making six consecutive putts from at least seven feet. Four were for birdie and two saved par, including 8-foot birdie putts at the 17th and 18th.

His second successive back-nine 31 gave him the outright lead after he had shared the halfway advantage with Gerard. Hovland leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting at 6.819 through three rounds, despite entering the week ranked 64th on the PGA Tour this season.

The 28-year-old has converted five of his previous six 54-hole leads or co-leads into victories. His latest came at the Travelers Championship in June, where he defeated Scheffler in a playoff for his eighth PGA Tour title.

Hovland has also won at East Lake. He won the 2023 Tour Championship and FedExCup by five shots after starting the final round six ahead.

Winning again would put him third among multiple FedExCup champions. Rory McIlroy has won the season-long competition three times, while Tiger Woods claimed it in 2007 and 2009.

Gerard Remains One Shot Behind

Gerard remained one shot back with a bogey-free 66, extending his run without a bogey to 35 holes. The 27-year-old is seeking his second PGA Tour victory and his first in a standard stroke-play event following his 2025 Barracuda Championship success.

A win would make him the first debuting player to take the Tour Championship since Xander Schauffele in 2017. This season, Gerard has had six top-10 finishes, three of them runner-up results.

Six Players Remain Within Five Shots

Scheffler moved to 12-under with a bogey-free 66. The 2024 FedExCup champion has twice won on the PGA Tour after trailing by at least three strokes entering the final round.

Gotterup, who shot 67, is also 3-behind. He has come from two or more shots back in each of his three victories this season and leads the East Lake field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee.

Scott and Åberg joined them after rounds of 65. Scott, 46, is seeking his first PGA Tour title since the 2020 Genesis Invitational and would become the oldest FedExCup champion. Åberg recovered from a double bogey at the first with seven birdies and no further dropped shots.

McIlroy matched his lowest career round at East Lake with a 63 to reach 10-under, five behind Hovland. He made two bogeys and settled for par at the par-5 18th, but remains within range of a record fourth FedExCup title.

Cameron Young also sits at 10-under after a 68 that included a double bogey at the 10th. Eight players will begin the final round separated by five shots.

Both Scottie Scheffler (solo 13th or better) and Rory McIlroy (solo 4th or better) can surpass Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour’s Career Money list this week:

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