CROMWELL, Conn. — Norwegian soccer fans surrounded the 18th green dancing and rowed like Vikings as Viktor Hovland leapfrogged Scottie Scheffler with his final putt on Saturday at the Travelers Championship.

Hovland came into the day with the tall task of making up two strokes on the world’s top golfer. He did so with three birdies on the first four holes, setting up a neck-and-neck competition for the next three hours or so at Cromwell’s TPC River Highlands.

And it was the 28-year-old Norwegian, with the support of World Cup fans who made it to Cromwell between games at Metlife and Gillette stadiums, who finally came out on top with a birdie on No. 18.

Hovland’s 6-foot, 4-inch putt, coupled with Scheffler’s bogey on the same hole, sent him into the clubhouse with the 54-hole lead at 20-under.

“We’re Vikings, so (rowing) is kind of in our DNA,” he said.

Hovland grew up in the nation’s capital of Oslo and moved to the U.S. in 2016 to play college golf at Oklahoma State. He hit 11 of 14 fairways and reached 14 of 18 greens in regulation.

Scheffler, who had only one birdie on the front nine and started the back with a bogey, led by one stroke at the 18th tee. Both found the center of the fairway with their drive, but Hovland’s approach shot stopped six feet from the hole and Scheffler’s rolled 25 feet away, off the green, forcing him to two-putt and finish the round at 3-under 67.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in this position. To go head-to-head against the best player in the world and pull off some great shots, it was just a lot of fun,” Hovland said. “I’m very process-driven. As soon as I find a certain feel that I can trust and it produces a pretty reliable shot shape, I know that I’m going to be able to score pretty well from there. So if I happen to shoot 2-under or 6-under or 9-under, it’s like that’s not the most important thing, in a way.

“It’s like as soon as I see the shots that I’m trying to hit and execute, that’s what gives me the confidence. Then it’s all a bonus on top being able to do it at this stage and in front of that many people.”

Looking for his first win since late January at The American Express, Scheffler has won seven of the last nine tournaments in which he held the 36-hole lead. He will enter the final round one shot back at 19-under.

“I felt I was good with my irons today. Could have hit a few more fairways. Just hit a lot of good putts today. Just kind of right around the edge,” Scheffler said. “It’s still a little early in the tournament. This is a golf course where you can see some numbers be shot. You know, guys can shoot pretty low. Going into tomorrow, just try to execute, have a good round and see where that puts me.”

Akshay Bhatia, four strokes back entering the day, climbed up to join the lead group when both Hovland and Scheffler made bogey on No. 10. The duo answered with birdies each on No. 11 to get to 17-under, while Bhatia found sand to the right side of the green on No. 12 and made bogey to slip two shots back.

After another bogey on No. 17, Bhatia went into the clubhouse at 3-under 67, positioning himself tied with Patrick Cantlay at 15-under ahead of the final round.

Cantlay, playing in the Travelers for the 11th time since his second-round 60 as an amateur in 2011, had a rough stretch on the back nine but was able to answer his two bogeys with birdies immediately after, finishing the round at 6-under 64.

“It’s just a course and a tournament that I really love,” he said. “It’s a golf course that I think suits my game, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. ... I’ve just got to worry about my game and what I’m going to do. Around this place if you get hot with the putter, you can make a bunch of birdies. Hopefully get off it a fast start tomorrow and keep going.”

In a group at 13-under were Shane Lowry, Wyndham Clark, Matt Fitzpatrick, Ben Griffin and Round 1 leader Eric Cole, who made birdie on four of the last six holes to save his round and exit at 1-under. Four players: Keith Mitchell, Si Woo Kim, Sam Burns and Justin Rose sit at 12-under through 54 holes.

Reigning champion Keegan Bradley shot even-par despite a 75-foot, 11-inch hole-out for eagle on No. 15. He is 8-under for the tournament and 12 shots behind the lead.

Milford native Ben James followed his 64 on Friday by going 1-over on Saturday, leaving him 13 shots back.

Sunday will, barring a push from the rest of the field, be Round 2 of the Hovland-Scheffler showdown. The lead group is set to tee-off at 2:55 p.m.

“Kind of the beauty of this golf course is that — you know, I think Scottie and I have separated ourselves from the rest of the field, but at the same time, 14- or 15-under is still very much in this thing if they go and shoot a very low score tomorrow,” Hovland said. “So we still have to go out there and, you know, play very similar to what we did today. Otherwise, we’re bringing in a lot more guys.”

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