"24-Year-Old Young Gun with 3 Wins in Last 5 Tournaments, New Generation Loving Taekwondo, Soccer, and Metal, Norway's First PGA Champ Says 'I Am the Next Golf Emperor'"
[Asia Economy Reporter Nowrae Noh] ‘Taekwondo Boy’ Viktor Hovland (Norway) is a ‘hot guy.’
He is making a thrilling march on the American and European stages. Recently, he has swept 3 wins in 5 tournaments and entered the ‘Top 5’ in all five events, soaring to 3rd place in the world rankings. In November last year, he successfully defended his title at the PGA Tour Worldwide Technology (Mayakoba Classic) in the United States, and in December, he achieved a come-from-behind victory at the special event Hero World Challenge hosted by the ‘Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods (USA).
On the 30th of last month, at the DP World Tour (European Tour) Dubai Desert Classic, he tasted the thrilling joy of victory after a playoff against Richard Bland (England). As of the 10th, he has recorded 3 PGA Tour wins and 2 DP World Tour wins in total. Hovland was born on September 18, 1997, in Oslo, Norway. He is still 24 years old as his birthday has not yet passed. He learned golf from his engineer father, Harald, at the age of 11.
For domestic fans, it is interesting that Hovland is a Taekwondo black belt holder. He earned his black belt after 7 years of training as a child. He introduced that "Taekwondo helped strengthen my mental toughness." He lived in Oslo until high school. Winters are long, harshly cold, and snowy in the region. Golf is only possible for 5 months from May to October. He mainly honed his skills at indoor practice ranges. He learned English by watching American historical dramas such as ‘Lincoln’ and ‘Amistad.’ He is also very interested in soccer.
Victor Hovland is cheering while holding the trophy right after winning the 2018 US Amateur Championship.
He likes metal bands such as ‘Metallica,’ ‘Tool,’ and ‘System of a Down.’ From the start, he was different, winning the Norwegian Amateur Championship in 2014. He entered Oklahoma State University in the United States in 2016 and emerged as a next-generation prospect by winning the US Amateur Championship in 2018. In 2019, he was invited to the Masters, US Open, and The Open. At the Masters, he finished tied for 32nd, the best among amateurs. This was the moment he became the amateur ‘Number 1.’
In the same year at the US Open, he set the amateur lowest score record (4 under par 280) for the first time in 59 years. It was the moment he surpassed the ‘living legend’ Jack Nicklaus (USA)’s 282 strokes. He was recorded as the player who simultaneously ranked first among amateurs at the Masters and US Open since Matt Kuchar (USA) in 1998. He turned professional in 2019. From the start, he was recognized as a star, with sponsors such as Ping Golf, Audemars Piguet, and Lindberg.
After going through the Korn Ferry (2nd tier) Tour, he immediately won the Puerto Rico Open in February 2020 at the age of 22 years and 158 days, setting a milestone as the ‘first Norwegian PGA champion.’ He became the fourth player in history to win both the US Amateur Championship and a PGA Tour event before turning 23. He was the only rookie to collect a winning trophy and participated in the Tour Championship. At the ‘special match’ Dubai Desert Classic, he also earned the title of ‘Norway’s first Rolex Series champion.’
Viktor Hovland (right) is taking a commemorative photo with 'tournament host' Tiger Woods immediately after winning the Hero World Challenge.
Last year, he played as a member of the Ryder Cup and the Olympics. Hovland is a player with a physique of 178 cm and 75 kg, combining distance and accuracy. This year, he averages 307.5 yards (28th) in driving distance, a fairway hit rate of 71.93% (7th), and a greens in regulation rate of 77.43% (6th). He rarely falters even on difficult courses. If he improves his bunker shots and putting skills, he is a talent who can dominate the world stage. He said, "I came to the United States to challenge a wider world."
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