DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | Peter Kent has watched the evolution of Viktor Hovland as a golfer and as a person from close quarters. And when the Norwegian won the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday, nobody had a better ringside view.
Kent is a long-time friend and the “third alternate” caddie of the soon-to-be world No. 3 golfer at Emirates Golf Club.
Shay Knight, his permanent caddie, could not come from the US after testing positive for COVID-19, and second-choice Christian Aronsen has a category as a player on the DP World Tour, which ruled him out as a caddie. Hectic, last-minute calls were made, and Kent’s services were secured for the trip to the UAE.
Hovland is the hottest player in the world having won three titles in the past three months – the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba in November 2021, the Hero World Challenge a month later and now his first Rolex Series event at the Dubai Desert Classic.
Kent has played a lot of golf with the 24-year-old Oklahoma State University standout and knows a lot about his game and mentality.
“Patience,” he said when asked about what impressed him the most in Hovland’s win. “Even when he is not playing well, Viktor won’t give up. He is always calm and composed on the golf course and will patiently wait for his time.”
In Dubai, his time finally came with just three holes remaining to be played.
Never really a factor in his first 69 holes, Hovland seemed to have shot himself out of the competition with a disappointing 73 on Day 3.
When he started on Sunday, he was six behind overnight leader Justin Harding and four behind Rory McIlroy. Despite a decent start in the final round, he had slipped to 2-under par for the day when he made an agonising three-putt bogey from 33 feet on the par-3 15th hole.
With just three holes remaining, he was four shots behind leader McIlroy.
What happened thereafter was sheer magic.
On the par-4 16th, he drained a 35-footer for birdie … 9-under par.
On the 17th, a drivable par-4 with a carry of nearly 300 yards over desert vegetation, he unleashed a mighty 327-yard drive. Left with a 33-footer for eagle, he poured it into the heart … 11-under par.
And on the closing par-5 of Emirates Golf Club, he hit two beautiful shots to 40 feet, and rolled in his second putt … 12-under par.
“I wouldn’t say it’s become a habit just yet. Obviously, you have to get things going your way ..."
Viktor Hovland
That was the clubhouse mark he set. England’s Richard Bland, twice his age at 48, was the only one who could catch up, thanks to some stunning shots like a chip-in birdie on the ninth hole, a holed-out bunker shot for another birdie on the 11th, and then a mesmerising birdie putt from 22 feet on the 18th.
But McIlroy failed in his effort. Following the Hovland route on the 17th, he put himself into a bush, from where he still conjured a stunning par. And on the 18th hole, he sliced his 3-wood second shot from 267 yards into the water guarding the green. The costly bogey pushed him one shot outside the play-off.
It was Hovland’s second win in four starts where he triumphed despite being six shots adrift of the leader on the final day. The previous win was at the Tiger Woods-hosted Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December, when he slayed a rampant Collin Morikawa.
“I wouldn’t say it’s become a habit just yet. Obviously, you have to get things going your way and I would certainly say that I had things going my way in the Bahamas last time, and obviously this time – finishing birdie, eagle, birdie, that’s something that rarely happens,” said Hovland.
“And even then, some other guys had a chance to take me out of it. So, I just try to do the best I can. I knew that I could post a good score today. I played some good golf this week. But I didn't quite get the same momentum that I did today. I posted a good number and made it interesting for the guys behind me.”
No golf tournament has ever been decided on the basis of three holes. Kent was quick to point out the importance of Saturday’s round, during which Hovland struggled to a 73.
“That 73 was vital, because nothing seemed to be happening for him. The conditions were tough and the greens were getting very hard and it could have easily become a 76 or 77. But Viktor kept on grinding and managed to limit the damage,” said Kent.
Hovland was probably the only one who wasn’t that impressed with his storming finish. The reason? He has had better. Even though the previous finish wasn’t accompanied with a $1.36 million cheque.
“I do distinctly remember a little match I had in college. We used to do a little Ryder Cup-style match – me and Kristoffer Ventura against Zach Bauchou and Sam Stevens,” recalled Hovland.
“We were basically playing for dinner and it was kind of getting dark like this and it was pretty feisty. We all didn’t want to lose and I remember we were playing stroke play best-ball. I think we were down three strokes with three to go, and I finished birdie, birdie, and then eagle on the last to beat them by a shot. They were so mad, and it just brought me so much joy.”
Joy Chakravarty