Viktor Hovland's brutal six-figure cost after walking off the course at the Travelers

Viktor Hovland was forced to withdraw from the Travelers Championship just three holes into the fourth round due to a neck injury, as confirmed by PGA Tour Communications.

He followed in the footsteps of Jordan Spieth, another big name who withdrew from the event earlier in the week, revealing his true colours to his playing partner and now facing significant repercussions.

The tournament boasts a total prize fund of £17million, with £3m going to the winner and £480K to the player finishing in 10th place. Hovland started Sunday tied for 14th after a weekend of fluctuating fortunes.

The Norwegian kicked off with a solid 66 on Thursday before dropping to a 75 on Friday. He bounced back with an impressive 63 on Saturday and hoped to maintain that momentum into Sunday.

"I warmed up on the range, felt great," Hovland commented on how his day began.

"I was just going to hit a little bit last couple drivers before I was going to go to the first tee, and hit one shot and then felt a little bit in my neck, but it didn't, it felt fine, didn't feel hardly anything at all, just felt like something was maybe brewing.

"Then the next shot that I hit with a driver, it just felt like, yeah, it just cracked. I don't know exactly what happened, but there's something that happened and I just couldn't move.

"I got someone to look at it or do a little bit, but I had five minutes before I was on the tee," he added. "There was really nothing we could do. So, tried to play, but just wasn't doable."

Hovland, Norway's groundbreaking golfer since joining the PGA Tour in 2019 after impressing at Oklahoma State, has been forced to reckon with his limitations.

As a seven-time winner and frequent contender in major tournaments, Hovland has experienced his share of both triumphs and near-misses-including a second-place finish at the 2023 PGA Championship and third at both the 2024 PGA Championship and 2025 US Open.

Kicking off the 2025 season in style, Hovland clinched a tightly contested victory over Justin Thomas by a single stroke at the Valspar Championship, held on March 23 in St Petersburg, Florida.

Currently poised in 23rd place in the projected 2025 FedEx Cup Standings, Hovland is no stranger to success as the 2023 PGA Tour FedEx Cup Winner, where he celebrated three wins at the Memorial Tournament, BMW Championship, and Tour Championship, bagging $19 million in the process.

Hoping to break new ground, Tommy Fleetwood, Sunday's front-runner, is aiming to claim his maiden PGA title after years of competing without a victory.