Viktor Hovland found a swing that worked down the tough closing stretch at Innisbrook on Sunday, making three late birdies to rally past Justin Thomas with a 4-under 67 for a one-shot victory in the Valspar Championship.

Hovland, who has changed coaches five times since he last won at East Lake to capture the FedEx Cup in 2023, was three shots behind Thomas when he holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 14th to start his amazing run. He hit 7-iron at a tucked pin on the 16th hole — the toughest hole on the Copperhead course — to 5 feet for birdie that tied him for the lead.

And then he took dead aim to a back pin on the par-3 17th to 12 feet for birdie, which turned into a two-shot cushion when Thomas faltered late.

“I honestly did not believe I could do it this week,” he said.

Bud Cauley (66), Billy Horschel (67) and Ryo Hisatsune (68) tied for fourth.

Horschel delivered the most incredible shot at Innisbrook when his ball settled up against a tree on the par-5 fifth hole. He inverted a 9-iron and swung left-handed, hitting it 117 yards onto the green and converting the birdie putt from just outside 30 feet.

“There was no way to hit it but lefty,” Horschel said. “I grabbed a 9-iron hoping it wouldn’t go too far, and I was just hoping to get it up in the air and go straight.”

MLB

Gardner mourns son >> The youngest son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner and his wife, Jessica, has died after falling ill during a family vacation. Miller Gardner was 14.

Miller Gardner died in his sleep Friday morning, according to a statement from the couple that was released by the Yankees on Sunday. The Gardners said they “have so many questions and so few answers at this point.”

“Miller was a beloved son and brother and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile,” Jessica and Brett Gardner said in the release. “He loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, his family and his friends. He lived life to the fullest every single day.”

The Yankees said the organization was “filled with grief” for their former outfielder who was drafted in 2005 and spent his entire big league career with the organization before retiring in 2021.

NHL

Sabres 5, Jets 3 >> Ryan McLeod had a goal and three assists and James Reimer made 33 saves to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a victory over the Western Conference-leading Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.

J.J. Peterka, Rasmus Dahlin, Tyson Kozak and Alex Tuch also scored for the Sabres (27-36-6). Jacob Bernard-Docker had two assists for Buffalo, the last-place team in the Eastern Conference coming off a 4-1 loss to Minnesota.

Blues 4, Predators 1 >> Jordan Kyrou scored his 30th goal of the season, and Robert Thomas had three assists to help the St. Louis Blues beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Sunday night for their sixth straight win.

Brayden Schenn, Alexandre Texier and Justin Faulk also scored, and Jordan Binnington made 29 saves for the Blues who now hold a four-point lead over Calgary for the second Western Conference wild card.

Panthers 4, Penguins 3 >> Aleksander Barkov scored in the shootout round while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all three attempts and the Florida Panthers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Sunday night.

Sam Reinhart scored twice, giving him 35 goals on the season, and Anton Lundell also scored for the Panthers.

Track & field

Record holder returns >> American runner Shelby Houlihan returned to the big stage after a much-debated four-year doping ban and won silver in the 3,000 meters at the world indoor championships.

The U.S. record holder at 1,500 meters and former record holder in the 5,000 sat out the Paris Olympics because she tested positive after eating a burrito she claimed was tainted with a performance-enhancing drug. The 32-year-old runner said she was flooded with a range of emotions after her second-place finish Saturday.