Viktor Hovland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Viktor Hovland |
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Hovland at the 2019 Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship
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| Personal information | |
| Nickname | Hovi |
| Born | 18 September 1997 Oslo, Norway |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in |
| Weight | 165 lbs |
| Nationality |  Norway |
| Residence | Stillwater, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Career | |
| College | Oklahoma State University |
| Turned professional | 2019 |
| Current tour(s) | PGA Tour European Tour |
| Professional wins | 10 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 6 |
| European Tour | 2 |
| Other | 2 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
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| The Masters Tournament | T7: 2023 |
| U.S. Open | T12: 2019 |
| The Open Championship | T4: 2022 |
| PGA Championship | T2: 2023 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| PGA Tour FedEx Cup winner |
2023 |
Viktor Hovland (born September 18, 1997) is a professional golfer from Norway. He plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour. Viktor won the 2018 U.S. Amateur tournament and became the number one amateur golfer in the world in 2019.
He was the first Norwegian golfer to win on the PGA Tour, which he did at the 2020 Puerto Rico Open. He also became the first Norwegian to win on the European Tour at the 2021 BMW International Open. Since then, he has won five more times on the PGA Tour. In 2023, he won the Tour Championship and his first FedEx Cup, a major golf championship.
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Becoming an Amateur Golf Star
Viktor Hovland started playing golf when he was eleven years old. His father, Harald, began playing golf while working in St. Louis, which inspired Viktor. Just five years later, in 2014, Viktor won the Norwegian Amateur Golf Championship at only 16 years old. From 2016 to 2019, he played college golf at Oklahoma State University.
Major Amateur Wins
In 2018, Viktor won the U.S. Amateur tournament. He was the first player from Norway to achieve this. This win earned him a spot in three big golf tournaments in 2019: the 2019 Masters Tournament, the 2019 U.S. Open, and the 2019 Open Championship.
At the 2019 Masters Tournament, he was the best amateur player, finishing tied for 32nd place. This amazing performance helped him become the number one amateur golfer in the world. At the 2019 U.S. Open, he finished 12th and was again the best amateur. His score of 280 was the lowest score ever by an amateur in the U.S. Open, beating a record set by golf legend Jack Nicklaus in 1960. Viktor was the first player since Matt Kuchar in 1998 to be the top amateur at both the Masters and the U.S. Open in the same year. In 2019, he also received the Ben Hogan Award, given to the best college golfer in the United States.
Turning Professional
Viktor Hovland became a professional golfer after the 2019 U.S. Open. His first professional tournament was the Travelers Championship in June 2019. By turning pro, he gave up his automatic spot in the 2019 Open Championship.
In August, he finished second at the Albertsons Boise Open. This result helped him earn a PGA Tour card for the 2019–20 season. Viktor also set a PGA Tour record by playing 19 rounds in a row with scores in the 60s.
First Professional Wins
In February 2020, Viktor made history by becoming the first Norwegian to win on the PGA Tour. He won the Puerto Rico Open. Later that year, in December, he won his second PGA Tour event, the Mayakoba Golf Classic, by making a birdie on the final hole.
In June 2021, Viktor became the first Norwegian to win on the European Tour when he won the BMW International Open.
Playing for Europe
In September 2021, Viktor played for the European team in the 2021 Ryder Cup. He was the first Norwegian golfer to be part of a Ryder Cup team. The U.S. team won that year.
In November 2021, Viktor won the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba for the second time in a row. He won by four strokes and set a new tournament record. A month later, he won the Hero World Challenge. He made two eagles in a row in the final round, which helped him secure the win. Because many of his early wins were in resort areas, especially around the Caribbean Sea, he earned the nickname "Resort King."
Continuing Success
Viktor started 2022 with a strong performance at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The next week, he won the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic after a playoff. This win moved him up to number three in the Official World Golf Ranking.
In December 2022, Viktor won the Hero World Challenge again, making him one of only two players, along with Tiger Woods, to win the event back-to-back.
Big Moments in 2023
In 2023, Viktor played very well in major championships. He finished tied for 7th at The Masters and tied for 2nd at the PGA Championship.
In June, he won the Memorial Tournament in a playoff. He made a birdie on the 17th hole to force the playoff, and he was the only player to birdie that hole all day.
In August, Viktor had an incredible final round at the BMW Championship, shooting a course-record 61. He won the tournament, which was the second event in the 2023 FedEx Cup Playoffs. The very next week, he won the Tour Championship and, with it, the overall FedEx Cup. He was the third-youngest golfer to win the FedEx Cup.
In September 2023, Viktor played for the European team again in the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy. The European team won, and Viktor played a key role in their victory.
Amateur Tournament Wins
- 2013 Norgescup 7, Team Norway Junior Tour 6
- 2014 Alcaidesa Winter Open, Titleist Tour 2, Norwegian Amateur Golf Championship
- 2018 Valspar Collegiate, U.S. Amateur, Royal Oaks Intercollegiate
- 2019 The Prestige
Professional Wins (10)
PGA Tour Playoff Record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023 | Memorial Tournament |  Denny McCarthy |
Won with par on first extra hole |
European Tour Playoff Record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022 | Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic |  Richard Bland |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
Team Appearances
Viktor has represented Norway and Europe in several team golf events:
As an Amateur
- European Boys' Team Championship (for Norway): 2013, 2014, 2015
- Summer Youth Olympics (for Norway): 2014
- Jacques Léglise Trophy (for Continental Europe): 2015
- European Amateur Team Championship (for Norway): 2016, 2017
- Eisenhower Trophy (for Norway): 2016, 2018
- Arnold Palmer Cup (for Europe): 2017, 2018
As a Professional
- Ryder Cup (for Europe): 2021, 2023 (winners)
Images for kids
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Viktor Hovland at the 2019 Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship
