In rare Monday playoff, Viktor Hovland beats Scottie Scheffler for Travelers Championship
In rare Monday playoff, Viktor Hovland beats Scottie Scheffler for Travelers Championship
Viktor Hovland reacts after winning the Travelers Championship playoff on Monday. Jordan Bank / Getty Images
By Brody MillerJune 29, 2026 10:00 am EDT UpdatedIn front of a large crowd for a 9 a.m. Monday playoff for one hole to decide the Travelers Championship, Viktor Hovland took down world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler to restake his claim in the game.
All the better, he did it with a large faction of Norwegian fans in tow, having detoured to Cromwell, Conn. after being in Boston for Norway’s World Cup match last Friday.
Scheffler missed a 2-foot birdie putt that would have extended the playoff, making it 13 starts without a win despite four runner-up finishes and eight in the top five. He said he hit his correct line, but the greens were firmer than he expected after the restart.
This wasn’t Scheffler’s day, though. It was Hovland’s, the 28-year-old fan favorite who three years ago made it a race with Scheffler to claim best player in the world. In the time since, Hovland has tinkered with his swing, played erratic golf and, at his lowest point, fell outside the world’s top 30.
The thing about Hovland is when he’s at his best, he’s a supernova. And he seems to be rediscovering some of his form. He finished solo third two weeks ago at the RBC Canadian Open, and this week at TPC River Highlands he birdied three holes in a row on the back nine to ultimately send this tournament to a playoff. Before Scheffler missed his two-footer, Hovland made one from 7 feet to earn his eighth PGA Tour victory.
It is Hovland’s first win since the Valspar Championship in March 2025, and the first Monday playoff on the PGA Tour since Rory McIlroy beat J.J. Spaun to win the 2025 Players Championship.
Viktor Hovland snatches Travelers Championship win in playoffBut back to Scheffler.
Because Scheffler won 13 times over the last two years, it feels like something is drastically wrong with his 2026 season, which features one win (January’s The American Express) to date. Yet, there remains nobody even remotely close to Scheffler’s place as the game’s best player in any ranking. His worst weeks are T12 and T24. He finished runner-up at the Masters and played in the final group at the U.S. Open.
By anyone else’s metrics, he’s having an unbelievable season. But by his own analysis, he’s lacking a certain “sharpness” it requires to win. Scheffler’s baseline will almost always put him at the top of leaderboards, because he’s just that good. But his iron play — still No. 1 in the world(!) — is nearly half of his normal strokes gained. While he’s gone from a poor putter to one of the best on tour, he’s still missing many of those putts inside 5 feet that can cost players a win.
In many ways, it feels like Tiger Woods’ 2001 “slump.” He was in the midst of completing the “Tiger Slam” with four major championship wins in a row, but when he went seven tournaments without a win, it led to constant questions and articles. By the time he won that March, a tired Woods joked, “It means my slump is over.” He also said those writers clearly didn’t understand golf.
Golf is a fickle game, and it’s won in the finest of margins. Scheffler will still be the heavy favorite next month at Royal Birkdale for the Open Championship. He’s still playing better golf than just about anyone.
He’s just not completing those final details. Monday morning was an unfortunate example.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
