Viktor Hovland is the first Norwegian male golfer to break into the game's elite ranks.Viktor Hovland of Norway became professional in 2019 after winning the US Amateur the previous year, and he has settled in nicely on the PGA Tour.
Hovland attended Oklahoma State University and won the Norwegian Amateur Golf Championship in 2014. He was chosen to the Golf Coaches Association of America's All-Freshman Team in 2016/17.
In 2017/18, Viktor Hovland won the US Amateur for the first time, becoming the first Norwegian player to do it. He was invited to the 2019 Masters Tournament, 2019 US Open, and 2019 Open Championship after finishing T12th at the 2019 US Open.
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Hovland won the Puerto Rico Open in 2020, becoming the first Norwegian to do it on the PGA Tour. Later in the year, he won the Mayakoba Golf Classic, and made history again in June 2021 when he won the BMW International Open in Germany, as the first Norwegian to do it on the European Tour.
Viktor Hovland Amatuer Career
Hovland began golfing at the age of 11 after his father, who worked in America, sent him a set of clubs. Hovland improved his skills at an indoor driving range after his father taught him how to play.
Viktor Hovland won Norway's 2014 Amateur Championship at the age of 16, establishing himself as a player to watch. He was named to the Golf Coaches Association of America's All-Freshman team in 2016/17. The same organization then awarded him a first-team All-American in 2017/18.
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In 2018, he won the US Amateur at Pebble Beach Golf Links by one stroke over American runner-up Devon Bling. Later that year, as an amateur, Viktor Hovland finished T13th in the 2018 Emirates Australian Open. Thye golfer proved his ability to succeed on the big stage at the 2019 Masters, finishing as the low amateur in T32nd place. As a result, he ascended to the top of the global amateur rankings.
Viktor Hovland Pro Career
Following his success in collegiate golf, Viktor Hovland faced a transition to the professional game, which he admitted was a tough undertaking.
"Even though I played really well in college, I was a little nervous going into my professional career. Over time, I discovered that when you play every week, your mind switches off a little bit and you just get into golf mode."
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After winning the US Open, he made his pro debut at the 2019 Travelers Championship, foregoing his automatic entrance into the 2019 Open Championship.
Viktor Hovland Breakthrough on the PGA Tour
Viktor Hovland won his first PGA Tour event in February 2020, the Puerto Rico Open, with a 20-under-par total of 268, beating Josh Teater by a single shot courtesy to a birdie on the 72nd hole. No previous Puerto Rico Open winner had achieved additional success on the PGA Tour, but Viktor Hovland defied a putative curse by winning the Mayakoba Golf Classic later that year, shooting 20-under-par 264 to beat Aaron Wise by one shot.
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Viktor Hovland successfully defended his World Wide Technology Championship title in November 2021. In Mayakoba, he established a tour record of 23-under-par to win his third TOUR title. He won the Hero World Challenge in December 2021, his third PGA TOUR victory. With a final-day 6-under 66, he climbed the leaderboard to win his second TOUR victory.
Viktor Hovland Wife and Personal Life
Galina and Harald Hovland raised Hovland and are his pareents. In his spare time, he enjoys watching movies and socializing with his pals. According to OK State, he considered attending Tennessee, Texas Tech, and Texas Christian University before deciding on the University of Oklahoma.
Viktor Hovland Net Worth
Viktor Hovland has earned more than $6 million from golf since the 2018/19 season, according to Spotrac. Over half of that occurred during the 2020/21 season, when his profile on the PGA Tour grew.
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