Hovland has his ducks in a (Viking) row
By Ron Green Jr. • July 1, 2026
There was Viktor Hovland, sitting on a Connecticut hillside, a Norwegian flag draped over his shoulders, joining a group of his fellow countrymen celebrating his Monday morning playoff victory over Scottie Scheffler in the Travelers Championship by doing the Viking row, a synchronized motion to both celebrate their culture and Hovland’s eighth PGA Tour victory.
Meanwhile, there was Scheffler, the best player in the game, left to sort through another near-miss that both reconfirms his steady brilliance and his particular challenges in this almost-great season.
Let’s start with Hovland, who is one of the most interesting characters in the game and not just because he is a fan of head-banging, heavy-metal music.
While Bryson DeChambeau’s quest to understand and perfect his unique golf swing can feel unrelatable, Hovland somehow blends the tortured-soul persona with a childlike curiosity and an almost charming willingness to disappear down rabbit holes.
Hovland spent more than four hours on the practice range at Shinnecock Hills on Saturday at the U.S. Open, one day after missing the cut, content to let the major championship continue around him while he chased his phantom-like form. According to those who chart such things, Hovland hit 230 balls in that practice session.
Whatever Hovland found that Saturday afternoon went with him to TPC River Highlands, where he took down Scheffler with a Monday morning birdie, needing about 15 minutes to end a tournament that surrendered to darkness on Sunday evening.
Two numbers explain why Hovland had just one finish inside the top-10 since early February – a third place at the RBC Canadian Open sandwiched between missed cuts at the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open.
Hovland ranked 104th in strokes gained off the tee and 83rd in strokes gained putting entering the Travelers Championship. It doesn’t take a math major to understand that lousy off the tee and lousy on the greens doesn’t add up to great success.