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Viktor Hovland arrives at this week’s star-studded Saudi International one of golf’s most lauded talents. Just 20 months into his professional career, the 23-year-old is a double PGA Tour winner, world-ranked 14th, and likely a Ryder Cup rookie this September. And he tied for second place in last week's PGA Tour event in California.
The Norwegian’s CV lists the 2018 US Amateur, the 2018 Ben Hogan Award (US collegiate player of the year), the 2019 Silver Cup (leading amateur at the Masters), and 12th place at the 2019 US Open, the highest finish by an amateur since 1971.
These were clear markers for success from his last two amateur seasons, but could such a rapid rise have been predicted earlier? Let’s leave that to some of the people who know him best.
Magnus Ohlsson, Hovland’s instructor throughout his teenage years, said, “Viktor was good but, with juniors, it’s impossible to say who’s going to make it or not.”
Norway foursomes partner, Kristian Krogh Johannessen, said, “I felt Viktor could be very good but there were other players I thought might go further.”
Another national team-mate, Jarand Ekeland Arnøy, recalled, “He was a solid iron player but fairly short, nothing flashy at all.”
Oklahoma State University coach Alan Bratton, who first saw Hovland at the European Boys’ Team Championship in 2013, said, “I was in Scotland to recruit Kristoffer Ventura so spent a lot of time watching the Norwegian team. Of the six boys, I would have probably ranked Viktor fourth.”
It was at the 2014 European Boys’ in Oslo that I watched Hovland for the first time. In my role with a leading equipment company, attending such tournaments was to evaluate players’ potential. With 120 of Europe’s best boys present, this evaluation was often done by observing just one or two holes, sometimes just one or two swings.
"At one point, I was worried about him as a person because he gave absolutely everything, his whole life was about golf."
Kristian Krogh Johannessen
My first impression was of a slightly built, slightly awkward kid with an infectious smile and unorthodox technique. A decent player. But a future contender for majors or the Ryder Cup? I thought not.
Many “dead certs” were easier to spot. McIlroy, Day, Matsuyama, Fowler … all examples of those with fabulous physical attributes which are all one can see from the brief snapshot of a few full swings. Hovland is proof that it is sometimes necessary to look beyond a first impression.
“Viktor had an extraordinary work ethic,” Ohlsson said. “He was so thorough, had a need to understand absolutely everything. Always curious and asking, ‘Why is this going to help me?’
“On the course, he was so good at adapting his game plan to how he was playing that day. I see that in him now. At the BMW PGA at Wentworth in 2019, he was hitting it terribly all week, with a big slice. He accepted it, played with it, shot 10 under and finished 11th.”
Two years Hovland’s senior, Krogh Johannessen was a mentor of sorts for Viktor when he first emerged on Oslo’s junior scene.
“I’m sure he’d say I was (unkind) to him, but it was only ever fun,” Krogh Johannessen said. “I beat him heavily once, signed my golf ball and presented it to him as a souvenir. That became something of a tradition between us.”
Recognising their chemistry, Krogh Johannessen asked to partner with Hovland at the 2013 European Boys event. “Viktor always used a lot of math when he played. The way he approached a round was so structured, calculating the probability of hitting or missing every shot to make decisions,” he said. “He knew his strengths and weaknesses so well which is why he hit the driver so often … and still does. Viktor knew he was as straight with his driver as any other club. He made a great foursomes partner.”
Hovland’s obsessive approach off the course grabbed his team-mates’ attention, too.
“At one point, I was worried about him as a person because he gave absolutely everything, his whole life was about golf,” said Krogh Johannessen.
Ekeland Arnøy agreed: “He was such a hard worker,” he said. “He spent hours and hours in front of a mirror during the Oslo winters, checking his technique, trying new positions, figuring things out. He was never afraid to be himself, and never took himself or others’ opinion of him too seriously.”
Bratton’s opinion mattered. It led Hovland to Stillwater, Oklahoma, and the glittering collegiate career that unlocked the door to the PGA Tour.
“I wouldn’t have seen what I saw in him had I not spent so much time watching his teammates,” said the decorated coach. “If I divorced myself from the swing and just watched the ball flight, listened to the strike, I was extremely impressed. Although it looked funky at first, over time I saw that he could really make it repeat.”
So, with all his experience, did Bratton foresee Hovland’s steep climb?
“As a boy, I saw a true competitor, super-confident in himself and who thrived under pressure,” Bratton said. “In college, I saw a player that would continue to improve, who could be a Ryder Cupper and contend in big tournaments. To do it so quickly, though? I might not have predicted that.”
That he now calls Stillwater home ahead of more fashionable PGA Tour player bases, like Orlando, Florida, or Scottsdale, Arizona, shows true attachment to his history.
That he signed and personally delivered to Ohlsson the green shirt he wore the Sunday of his second PGA Tour victory at the Mayakoba Golf Classic shows gratitude to those who have helped him.
Insights from those Hovland has met along the way reveal abundant intangible qualities that make the man stand out from the crowd where the boy did not.
E-Mail Jonathan