Hovland Lives Up To The Hype

Hovland Lives Up To The Hype Image: gamer artHOW IT HAPPENEDViktor Hovland, the highly touted Norwegian who won the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach and was low amateur at last year’s Masters and U.S. Open before turning pro, scored his first professional victory Sunday, winning the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open by a stroke. After stumbling with a triple bogey on the par-3 11th at Grand Reserve Country Club, Hovland chipped in for eagle on No. 15 and then drained a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole to edge journeyman Josh Teater by a stroke.Hovland, 22, carried a one-stroke lead into the final round, but his 11th-hole disaster brought several players back into the mix. Teater, making his 193rd PGA Tour start, made birdies at Nos. 15 and 17 to tie for the lead before leaving a birdie putt inches short of the hole on the par-5 18th. Moments later, Hovland raced his clinching putt home with authority.With the victory, Hovland became the PGA Tour’s first Norwegian champion. He won in his 17th start.WHAT IT MEANS

Less than a year removed from college, Hovland and contemporaries Collin Morikawa and Matthew Wolff have won PGA Tour titles. There’s reason to believe each will add to his victory total in the near future.

Hovland doesn’t project Wolff’s swagger, and Morikawa has displayed noteworthy consistency to start his career, but many regard Hovland as possessing the greatest potential among the three. He gained just more than a stroke off the tee against the field a season ago, which would have put him second behind Cameron Champ had Hovland played enough PGA Tour rounds to be ranked.

Given how vital the driver has become in the modern game, that statistic bodes well for Hovland’s prospects moving forward.

One area Hovland needs to improve is clear. He ranks outside the top 200 on tour in strokes gained around the greens, which showed in Puerto Rico as he threw away multiple shots with poor chipping and pitching.

“I definitely need to work on my short game and I was 100 percent exposed there,” Hovland said with a smile after his victory. “I can get away with it sometimes, but over 72 holes, I really need to tighten that up.”

While Hovland is just starting a promising career, Teater experienced heartbreak. At 40, he also was chasing his first PGA Tour victory and the many perks that come with it. Leaving his last putt inches short no doubt stung.

“I knew it was going to be a little slower because of the rain that came through,” Teater said. “I had it on line, but I just didn’t hit it.”

Teater’s runner-up finish was the second of his career and his first top-10 since the Wyndham Championship last August.

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