Viktor Hovland

Viktor Hovland (born 18 September 1997) is a Norwegian professional golfer. He won the 2018 U.S. Amateur. In 2020, he won the Puerto Rico Open, becoming the first Norwegian to win on the PGA Tour.

Viktor Hovland
Personal information
Born (1997-09-18) 18 September 1997
Oslo, Norway
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight195 lb (88 kg)
Nationality Norway
ResidenceStillwater, Oklahoma, U.S.
Career
CollegeOklahoma State University
Turned professional2019
Current tour(s)PGA Tour
Professional wins1
Highest ranking45 (28 June 2020)[1]
(as of 28 June 2020)
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour1
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT32: 2019
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenT12: 2019
The Open ChampionshipDNP

Amateur career

Hovland played college golf at Oklahoma State University–Stillwater.[2] In 2014, Hovland won the Norwegian national championships for amateurs.

Hovland won the 2018 U.S. Amateur, the first Norwegian player to do so, and earned invitations into the 2019 Masters Tournament, the 2019 U.S. Open, and the 2019 Open Championship.[3] He played in the 2018 Emirates Australian Open as an amateur, finishing tied for 13th place.[4]

Hovland was the low amateur in the 2019 Masters Tournament, finishing three under par in a tie for 32nd. With this performance he rose to number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.[5] In the 2019 U.S. Open, he finished in 12th place and was low amateur with a score of 280. This was the lowest 72-hole score by an amateur in the U.S. Open, breaking the previous record of 282, set by Jack Nicklaus in 1960.[6] He became the first player to win low amateur honors at both the Masters and U.S. Open in the same season since Matt Kuchar in 1998.

Professional career

Hovland turned professional following the 2019 U.S. Open, and made his professional debut at the 2019 Travelers Championship.[7] By doing so, he forfeited his automatic entry to the 2019 Open Championship. He signed sponsorship contracts with Ping, Audemars Piguet and J.Lindeberg.

On 25 August 2019, Hovland finished tied for second in the Albertsons Boise Open, part of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. This finish secured him a PGA Tour card for the 2019–20 season. Hovland set a PGA Tour record for most consecutive rounds in the 60s with 19 during the second round of the CJ Cup in South Korea. He claimed his first PGA Tour victory at the 2020 Puerto Rico Open.[8]

Amateur wins
  • 2013 Norgescup 7, Team Norway Junior Tour 6
  • 2014 Alcaidesa Winter Open, Titleist Tour 2, Norgesmesterskapet (Norwegian Amateur Championships)
  • 2018 Valspar Collegiate, U.S. Amateur, Royal Oaks Intercollegiate
  • 2019 The Prestige

Source:[9]

Professional wins (1)

PGA Tour wins (1)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
1 23 Feb 2020 Puerto Rico Open −20 (68-66-64-70=268) 1 stroke Josh Teater

Results in major championships
Tournament 2019
Masters Tournament T32LA
PGA Championship
U.S. Open T12LA
The Open Championship
  Did not play

LA = Low amateur
"T" = tied for place

Team appearances

Amateur

Source:[9]

See also

References
  1. "Week 26 2020 Ending 28 Jun 2020" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  2. "Viktor Hovland – 2017–18 Men's Golf". Oklahoma State University. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  3. Shedloski, Dave (19 August 2018). "Champion Hovland Displays Talent, Levity". USGA. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  4. "Golf Australia scores". Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  5. "Hovland rides magnificent Masters to world number one". World Amateur Golf Ranking. 17 April 2019.
  6. Schlabach, Mark (16 June 2019). "Amateur Hovland breaks Jack's U.S. Open mark". ESPN.
  7. Johnson, E. Michael (19 June 2019). "Viktor Hovland, Matthew Wolff turn pro at Travelers Championship and immediately cash in with equipment deals". Golf Digest.
  8. "Viktor Hovland becomes PGA Tour's first Norwegian winner". Sportsnet. Associated Press. 23 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  9. "Viktor Hovland". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
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