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	<title>Viktor Hovland Archives - Golf Digest Middle East</title>
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	<title>Viktor Hovland Archives - Golf Digest Middle East</title>
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		<title>‘A damn bad job’: Viktor Hovland lashes out at PGA Tour but stops short of jumping to LIV Golf</title>
		<link>https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/a-damn-bad-job-viktor-hovland-lashes-out-at-pga-tour-but-stops-short-of-jumping-to-liv-golf/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Golf Digest Middle East]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Dec 2023 11:40:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[LIV Golf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Golf. PGA Tour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Viktor Hovland]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://golfdigestme.com/?p=73771</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>“The more people leave for LIV the stronger they become and the weaker the PGA Tour becomes" Hovland</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/a-damn-bad-job-viktor-hovland-lashes-out-at-pga-tour-but-stops-short-of-jumping-to-liv-golf/">‘A damn bad job’: Viktor Hovland lashes out at PGA Tour but stops short of jumping to LIV Golf</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Viktor Hovland</strong>, the reigning FedEx Cup champion, said recently that he remains committed to the PGA Tour, at least for the foreseeable future. But his support extends only to the golf course and not to management, which he calls “arrogant” and has done “a damn bad job” in handling the fracture in the game with the launch of the rival LIV Golf League.</p>
<p>Speaking on Discovery’s FORE podcast in his native Norway, Hovland, 26, expressed “doubt” that he would follow recent convert <strong>Jon Rahm</strong> to LIV amid reports that Hovland was getting ready to jump. Having committed to six early-season PGA Tour events, including the season-opening Sentry Tournament of Champion in Kapalua, Hawaii, Hovland indicated that his allegiance was strictly personal and related to his development as a player.</p>
<p>“If I had gone to LIV, I don’t think I would have become a better golfer, and then it is, in a way, end of discussion,” said Hovland, the No. 4 golfer in the world, citing LIV’s 54-hole, no-cut format. “You need the competition with 150 players and a cut. If you don’t play well enough, you’re out. There is something about it that makes your game a little sharper.”</p>
<p>That said, Hovland was in no way critical of Rahm for his recent about-face and joining the upstart circuit and added that he “wasn’t really shocked” by the Spaniard’s decision. “It would be a bit silly to criticize players for leaving,” he said. “After all, you only hear one angle in the media, and there are quite a few different parts happening at the same time. I totally understand why he [Rahm] left. That’s a lot of money.”</p>
<p>Hovland saved his sharpest remarks for the tour’s leadership.</p>
<p>“Just to be clear, I’m not complaining about the position I’m in, and I’m very grateful for everything,” Hovland said. “But the management has not done a good job. They almost see the players as labour and not as part of the members. After all, we are the PGA Tour. Without the players, there is nothing.</p>
<p>“When you get to see what happens behind closed doors, how the management actually makes decisions, which are not in the players’ best interest, but best for themselves and what they think is best. They are not professional golfers after all. There is a great deal of arrogance behind it all.”</p>
<p>Hovland’s candid comments come on the heels of an unusual bout of reticence earlier this month at the Hero World Challenge; the two-time defending champion, who is known for his accommodating personality, declined requests from the tour to appear for a formal pre-tournament press conference in the Bahamas.</p>
<p>Hovland won three times on the PGA Tour in 2023, including the final two playoff events, the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship to claim the $18 million bonus that goes to the FedEx Cup winner. The Norwegian also was one of the stars for Europe in its decisive Ryder Cup victory over the U.S. in Italy, but during the podcast he said that he will compete in fewer DP World Tour events in 2024. Hovland has six PGA Tour titles and two on the DP World Tour.</p>
<div id="attachment_73774" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-73774" class="size-full wp-image-73774" src="https://golfdigestme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Viktor-Hovland-poses-with-the-FedEx-Cup-Trophy-after-winning-the-Tour-Championship-in-August-Kevin-C.-Cox.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="500" srcset="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Viktor-Hovland-poses-with-the-FedEx-Cup-Trophy-after-winning-the-Tour-Championship-in-August-Kevin-C.-Cox.jpg 740w, https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Viktor-Hovland-poses-with-the-FedEx-Cup-Trophy-after-winning-the-Tour-Championship-in-August-Kevin-C.-Cox-300x203.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><p id="caption-attachment-73774" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="color: #999999;"><em>Viktor Hovland poses with the FedEx Cup Trophy after winning the Tour Championship in August &#8211; Kevin C. Cox</em></span></p></div>
<p>A native of Oslo who was an All-American at Oklahoma State and won 2018 U.S. Amateur before turning professional in 2019, Hovland expressed hope that the professional golf’s primary factions come to a truce. The PGA Tour currently faces a deadline of Dec. 31 to negotiate a final deal with PIF, the financial muscle behind LIV, after announcing a framework agreement with the Saudi investment firm in June. The tour also said it is moving forward with talks with the business consortium Strategic Sports Group on a potential investment arrangement.</p>
<p>“There is, of course, a division. The PGA Tour is not as strong as before—that’s a fact,” Hovland said. “The more people leave for LIV the stronger they become and the weaker the PGA Tour becomes. I think that’s crazy. I just hope that it will return to normality in the future.”</p>
<p><em><span style="color: #999999;">Main Image &#8211; Ross Kinnaird</span></em></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/a-damn-bad-job-viktor-hovland-lashes-out-at-pga-tour-but-stops-short-of-jumping-to-liv-golf/">‘A damn bad job’: Viktor Hovland lashes out at PGA Tour but stops short of jumping to LIV Golf</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
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		<title>Viktor Hovland’s answer to what he’s done with his $35 million in earnings this year will melt your heart</title>
		<link>https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/viktor-hovlands-answer-to-what-hes-done-with-his-35-million-in-earnings-this-year-will-melt-your-heart/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Golf Digest Middle East]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Nov 2023 06:28:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[DP World Tour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News & Tours]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Viktor Hovland]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://golfdigestme.com/?p=72859</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Viktor might be an even better son than he is a golfer.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/viktor-hovlands-answer-to-what-hes-done-with-his-35-million-in-earnings-this-year-will-melt-your-heart/">Viktor Hovland’s answer to what he’s done with his $35 million in earnings this year will melt your heart</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p1">If we’ve learned anything about Viktor Hovland this year, it’s that in addition to being one of the best golfers on the planet, he’s also one of the most humble, likeable sports stars you’ll ever come across. We would mention that we learned about his Chipotle obsession as well except we’ve known about that for a few years now.</p>
<p class="p1">But in somewhat related news to that last tidbit, Hovland isn’t one to be flashy with how he spends his money. In August, he said he doesn’t “spend money out the wazoo—even while earning money out the wazoo. Enough money to probably buy all the Chipotles in Oklahoma.</p>
<p class="p1">Thanks in large part to winning the FedEx Cup, the Norwegian has earned $34.5 million(!) on the course this season. But as he prepares for the DP World Tour Championship this week, he was asked whether he’s treated himself too much with all that cash. And his answer will melt your heart.</p>
<p class="p1">“Nothing, not necessarily materialistic, but I took my mom on a nice trip to Malta and we went there hung out ate good food and checked out some places and sightseeing a little bit so that’s the stuff that’s cool.”</p>
<p class="p1">Aww. This guy might be an even better son than he is a golfer. Have a look at Hovland’s full answer below (third slide):</p>
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<p class="p1">Now there’s a young man with his priorities straight. That said, we’re guessing Santa will treat the Hovlands extra well this Christmas—especially Mrs. Hovland.</p>
<p><span style="color: #999999;"><em>Main image: Ross Kinnaird</em></span></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/viktor-hovlands-answer-to-what-hes-done-with-his-35-million-in-earnings-this-year-will-melt-your-heart/">Viktor Hovland’s answer to what he’s done with his $35 million in earnings this year will melt your heart</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
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		<title>This setup key led to Viktor Hovland’s ‘hallelujah’ bunker moment</title>
		<link>https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/this-setup-key-led-to-viktor-hovlands-hallelujah-bunker-moment/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Clarkwin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Nov 2023 04:58:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Instruction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryder Cup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Viktor Hovland]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://golfdigestme.com/?p=72483</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Don't forget about the knees.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/this-setup-key-led-to-viktor-hovlands-hallelujah-bunker-moment/">This setup key led to Viktor Hovland’s ‘hallelujah’ bunker moment</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p1">After three PGA Tour wins and a standout performance at the Ryder Cup, it’s hard to believe there was a time that Viktor Hovland’s short game, in his own words, “sucked.”</p>
<p class="p1">Hovland has talked a lot about his wedge transformation and even shared a few of his tips for improving around the green. But according to him, one of his biggest “hallelujah” moments was when he dialled in his sand game.</p>
<p class="p1">On a recent episode of The Smylie Show, Hovland recounted a time when he was even contemplating not competing in the Memorial Tournament, an event he won this year, because of the difficult bunkers that line nearly every fairway and green at Muirfield Village Golf Club.</p>
<p class="p1">“I just had no chance,” Hovland said, “In those bunkers you’re always going to be on a downslope, and if you can’t catch the ball cleanly out of the bunkers, you’re not stopping the ball on the green.”</p>
<p class="p1">This was a problem for Hovland, who was chunking his sand shots at the time, something that might sound familiar to many amateurs.</p>
<p class="p1">Hovland attempted to correct the issue by using his upper body to control the speed of the shot. But, it wasn’t until Hovland teamed up with Golf Digest Best in State Teacher Joe Mayo, his current coach, that he had his breakthrough.</p>
<p class="p1">Together, they reinvented Hovland’s short game approach by introducing more “spin loft” to these short touch shots. You can read a more in-depth explanation of spin loft here, but in simplest terms, Hovland began swinging down on the ball with a steeper angle of attack.</p>
<p class="p1">While spin loft was the cause of Hovland’s breakthrough in the bunker, he also shared a setup key that has played a crucial role in his successful sand game.</p>
<h3 class="p1" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>The Key: Bending his lead knee</strong></span></h3>
<p class="p1">During his interview with Smylie Kauffman, Hovland mentions how important it is that he maintains a bend in his lead knee through the finish.</p>
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<p class="p1">This position is worth copying because it helps keep your weight forward throughout the entire shot—which Hovland says is key to pulling off any bunker shot.</p>
<p class="p1">It’s hard to throw your clubface or release the club properly if your weight isn’t already forward, Hovland says.</p>
<p class="p1">That’s because weight in the front leg creates a fixed point for you to rotate around. Which eliminates sway from your sand shots and produces more consistent strikes.</p>
<p class="p1">A bent lead knee also opens up your stance, making it easier to rotate around your post leg and turn through the shot completely. A simple change that will make a big difference if you tend to hang back on bunker shots.</p>
<p class="p1">Lastly, bending your lead knee will increase your stability. If you watch the clip above, you’ll see how little Hovland’s head moves when he makes his swing—something most amateurs should strive for in their bunker game.</p>
<p class="p1">Most amateurs bob up and down when hitting sand shots, a move that’s often exaggerated under pressure. While this might feel like you’re hitting down on it, the vertical movement is actually causing you to lunge at the ball, which leads to frustrating inconsistencies from the sand. It’s probably why you chunk one then thin the next.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/this-setup-key-led-to-viktor-hovlands-hallelujah-bunker-moment/">This setup key led to Viktor Hovland’s ‘hallelujah’ bunker moment</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
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		<title>Tiger Woods announces strong field for Hero, and leaves a spot open for himself?</title>
		<link>https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/tiger-woods-announces-strong-field-for-hero-and-leaves-a-spot-open-for-himself/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Golf Digest Middle East]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Oct 2023 05:55:31 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[PGA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PGA Tour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tiger Woods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Viktor Hovland]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://golfdigestme.com/?p=72147</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Tiger Woods announced the field for the 2023 Hero World Challenge on Monday, and at the end of the impressive list that includes eight of the top-10 ranked players in the world was 'TBA tournament exemption'</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/tiger-woods-announces-strong-field-for-hero-and-leaves-a-spot-open-for-himself/">Tiger Woods announces strong field for Hero, and leaves a spot open for himself?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Tiger Woods announced the field for the 2023 Hero World Challenge on Monday, and at the end of the impressive list that includes eight of the top-10 ranked players in the world was “TBA tournament exemption”. Could that spot be for the tournament host himself?</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">It would seem to be a possibility, though Woods has not indicated anything yet. He hasn’t played in a tournament since April’s Masters, after which he underwent ankle surgery. Speculation about Woods possibly playing at the Hero in the Bahamas from November 30 to December 3, heated up when he was recorded hitting a shot on The Hay course at Pebble Beach while he hosted his TGR Jr Invitational.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="qme" dir="ltr">?? <a href="https://t.co/GLAS3nkWp7">pic.twitter.com/GLAS3nkWp7</a></p>
<p>&mdash; TGR Live (@TGRLiveEvents) <a href="https://twitter.com/TGRLiveEvents/status/1710796468863500436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Woods last played in the Hero in 2019 following the season of his Masters victory and finished fourth. The 2020 event was cancelled because of the COVID pandemic, and Woods didn’t compete the last two years.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Whether Woods plays or not, the Hero will again have a star-studded field of 20 players, including World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 4 Viktor Hovland, who is the event’s two-time defending champion.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Hovland will be joined by two other winning Ryder Cup members for Europe, Sepp Straka and Matt Fitzpatrick, while there will be 11 of the 12 US team members — Rickie Fowler, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman. The only American absent will be LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka. Harman and Clark, who won the Open Championship and US Open, respectively, this season, are making their Hero debuts.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Will Zalatoris is in the field and will make his first start since back surgery in April. The others competing are Cameron Young, Keegan Bradley, Tony Finau and Jason Day. The two players not entered from the World top 10 are Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #999999;"><em><strong>Main image: Mike Ehrmann</strong></em></span></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/tiger-woods-announces-strong-field-for-hero-and-leaves-a-spot-open-for-himself/">Tiger Woods announces strong field for Hero, and leaves a spot open for himself?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
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		<title>Ryder Cup: Watch as Viktor Hovland nails a hole-in-one — on a par 4!</title>
		<link>https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/ryder-cup-watch-as-viktor-hovland-nails-a-hole-in-one-on-a-par-4/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Matt Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:55:24 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News & Tours]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryder Cup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Viktor Hovland]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://golfdigestme.com/?p=71580</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Insane shot from the feisty Norwegian</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/ryder-cup-watch-as-viktor-hovland-nails-a-hole-in-one-on-a-par-4/">Ryder Cup: Watch as Viktor Hovland nails a hole-in-one — on a par 4!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Just when we thought the Ryder Cup hype was ratcheted all the way to max, Team Europe’s Viktor Hovland has found a way to turn it up to 11.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">During his Thursday practice round, the feisty Norwegian achieved a Ryder Cup rarity in nailing a hole-in-one. He also moved into a bracket all on his own by achieving the feat on a par 4! </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Watch this historic moment for yourself:</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="no" dir="ltr">? VIKTOR HOVLAND MAKES A HOLE-IN-ONE ON A PAR 4! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamEurope?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamEurope</a> <a href="https://t.co/OnsEG19UC6">pic.twitter.com/OnsEG19UC6</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyderCupEurope/status/1707358471589400710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">And the crowd goes wild! </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">If he — or any of his teammates for that matter — manages to repeat this on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, we can only imagine what the scenes will be like.</span></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s another angle. We won&#8217;t tire of watching this soon:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Viktor Hovland just made an ace on the par 4 5th at Marco Simone! ???</p>
<p> <a href="https://t.co/i5XryH7b6f">pic.twitter.com/i5XryH7b6f</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) <a href="https://twitter.com/flushingitgolf/status/1707352959531520394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/ryder-cup-watch-as-viktor-hovland-nails-a-hole-in-one-on-a-par-4/">Ryder Cup: Watch as Viktor Hovland nails a hole-in-one — on a par 4!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
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		<title>Viktor Hovland was practising some nasty Ryder Cup spinners. Here is how he hits them</title>
		<link>https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/viktor-hovland-was-practising-some-nasty-ryder-cup-spinners-here-is-how-he-hits-them/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Golf Digest Middle East]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Sep 2023 10:08:14 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Instruction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News & Tours]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryder Cup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Viktor Hovland]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://golfdigestme.com/?p=71416</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Hovland’s short game has undergone a something of a revelation this season with the help of coach Joe Mayo</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/viktor-hovland-was-practising-some-nasty-ryder-cup-spinners-here-is-how-he-hits-them/">Viktor Hovland was practising some nasty Ryder Cup spinners. Here is how he hits them</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Viktor Hovland showed up at Marco Simone for some light practice on Monday before the Ryder Cup. With a long week ahead, no one is going to risk tiring themselves out.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Most of Hovland’s time was spent on the practice green, hitting a variety of very saucy chip shots. You can see him hitting one of those dastardly little spinners that rip backwards from just a few yards off the green, in the video below.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Hovland’s short game has undergone a something of a revelation this season with the help of coach Joe Mayo.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The key thing the pair have worked on is focusing on hitting really steeply down on the ball. He does this by shifting his body towards the target during his move, which you can see here.</span></p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-71418 aligncenter" src="https://golfdigestme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Vik-2.jpg" alt="" width="966" height="926" srcset="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Vik-2.jpg 966w, https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Vik-2-300x288.jpg 300w, https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Vik-2-768x736.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 966px) 100vw, 966px" /></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Chipping is so much more fun now,” Hovland said. “I actually enjoy practising them.”</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">It’s good advice for the rest of us, too: Shifting your weight forward allows you to make crispy contact, by moving the low point of your chipping technique more forward.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">And clearly, it’s worked wonders for Hovland. Mayo says Hovland hits about 11 degrees down on the ball now, compared to about four degrees before.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“It’s about triple what it was before,” Mayo says.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">That change rejigs Hovland’s crucial spin-loft metric, which has the welcome effect of generating a ripping amount of backspin.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Viktor’s talent is without question. When you align a player as talented as Viktor with the correct math [of the shot], success is inevitable,” Mayo says.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #999999;"><em><strong>Images: Luke Kerr Dineen</strong></em></span></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/viktor-hovland-was-practising-some-nasty-ryder-cup-spinners-here-is-how-he-hits-them/">Viktor Hovland was practising some nasty Ryder Cup spinners. Here is how he hits them</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
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		<title>Aberg upstages Ryder Cup teammates Hovland and McIlroy on BMW PGA Championship debut</title>
		<link>https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/aberg-upstages-ryder-cup-teammates-hovland-and-mcilroy-on-bmw-pga-championship-debut/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Golf Digest Middle East]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Sep 2023 07:08:04 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[DP World Tour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BMW PGA Championship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ludvig Aberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rory McIlroy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryder Cup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Viktor Hovland]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://golfdigestme.com/?p=70937</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>'I was kind of walking around and then almost pinched myself in the arm'</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/aberg-upstages-ryder-cup-teammates-hovland-and-mcilroy-on-bmw-pga-championship-debut/">Aberg upstages Ryder Cup teammates Hovland and McIlroy on BMW PGA Championship debut</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p1">Ludvig Aberg teed off his first round at the BMW PGA Championship on Thursday among the most vaunted of golf company — Ryder Cup teammates and two of the hottest players on the planet right now in Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland — and upstaged the vastly experienced pair by shooting a four-under 68.</p>
<p class="p1">The fourth Rolex Series event of the season got under way and the trio teed off before 9am local time, with a bumper crowd in tow at Wentworth.</p>
<p class="p1">With things outside the ropes close to perfect, Swede Aberg — who only turned professional in June — set about achieving a similar result inside as he made five birdies in a row from the 11th to fly up the leaderboard and challenge for the lead.</p>
<p class="p1">A double-bogey on the 17th somewhat stalled his progress but he birdied the last to finish at four-under and was happy with his day’s work.</p>
<p class="p1">“It was great,” he said. “A little bit more people than I’m used to following me around. It was really fun playing with those two guys. Obviously the level of golf that they can do is pretty amazing and for me to watch that is pretty cool.</p>
<p class="p1">“I was kind of walking around and then almost pinched myself in the arm on the fairways but really enjoyed it and proud of the way I handled it today.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="da" dir="ltr">Highlights from Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Åberg&#39;s opening round ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BMWPGA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BMWPGA</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RolexSeries?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RolexSeries</a></p>
<p>&mdash; DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) <a href="https://twitter.com/DPWorldTour/status/1702408122310983742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p class="p1">While Aberg will be making his Ryder Cup debut in Italy later this month, Hovland will be playing in his second after recently winning the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour.</p>
<p class="p1">The duo may be separated by just two years in age but Hovland is vastly the more senior player in terms of experience, and he believes weeks like this in front of huge crowds will help Aberg in Rome.</p>
<p class="p1">“I think it’s a good experience for him,” said the Norwegian after shooting a 69. “The way he’s played the last couple of months, he has not been a pro very long but he certainly doesn’t look scared of the moment. So I think it’s just a great experience for him but I think he’s ready regardless.</p>
<p class="p1">“Ludvig was certainly on a heater mid-round and the crowd was loving it.</p>
<p class="p1">“Hopefully we can make a few more birdies and less mistakes to get the crowds going but just a great atmosphere here.”</p>
<p class="p1">“This is what I’ve been wanting to do for such a long time and for me to actually be here, to actually play in these events that I’ve watched for such a long time is pretty cool. I try to embrace it and I try to have fun with it and take it for what it is.”</p>
<p class="p1">Aberg was level par at the turn after a birdie on the fourth and bogey on the ninth but he put an approach to two feet at the 11th, capitalised on the par-five 12th, hit more smart irons into the 13th and 14th and holed a long putt on the 15th to rattle off five birdies.</p>
<p class="p1">A tee-shot out of bounds on the 17th saw him fall back but he made a two-putt birdie on the last to give himself a solid start.</p>
<p class="p1">“I hit some nice iron shots,” he said. “I feel like this golf course is pretty straightforward. If you put the ball in front of you off the tee you get a lot of mid-irons.</p>
<p class="p1">“Luckily today I hit a few nice ones and obviously made a few putts as well. I think that’s what I’ve got to keep doing and just take it for what it is.”</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/aberg-upstages-ryder-cup-teammates-hovland-and-mcilroy-on-bmw-pga-championship-debut/">Aberg upstages Ryder Cup teammates Hovland and McIlroy on BMW PGA Championship debut</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
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		<title>How well did Viktor Hovland celebrate his winning moment? Introducing The C.E.L.E.B.R.A.T.I.O.N. Scale</title>
		<link>https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/how-well-did-viktor-hovland-celebrate-his-winning-moment-introducing-the-c-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-i-o-n-scale/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Golf Digest Middle East]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Aug 2023 09:03:54 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[PGA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PGA Tour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[THE C.E.L.E.B.R.A.T.I.O.N. SCALE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Viktor Hovland]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://golfdigestme.com/?p=70501</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Each letter represents an element of the celebration that we’re rating on a scale of 1-10</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/how-well-did-viktor-hovland-celebrate-his-winning-moment-introducing-the-c-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-i-o-n-scale/">How well did Viktor Hovland celebrate his winning moment? Introducing The C.E.L.E.B.R.A.T.I.O.N. Scale</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com">Golf Digest Middle East</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #999999;"><em><strong>Viktor Hovland. Mike Ehrmann</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Viktor Hovland played like a man possessed at East Lake, capturing the Tour Championship and a whole heaping wagon-load of money. But today, we’re not concerned with golf, or prizes, or any worldly matters. Today, we have just a simple question to answer: How well did he celebrate his victory?</p>
<p>Clearly, this is a complex question, and not one to take lightly. When it comes to the victory moment, there is no easy analysis that can summarise the various requirements of a great post-win celebration. In order to do a more thorough investigation, the top scientists at Golf Digest (read: me, the guy who is very bad at science) have come up with&#8230;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>THE C.E.L.E.B.R.A.T.I.O.N. SCALE</strong></h3>
<p>As you might guess from all those periods, each letter represents an element of the celebration that we’re rating on a scale of 1-10. When all is said and done, we’ll come up with a total comprehensive score out of 110 points that will give us a clear idea of how well Hovland did in the moments after his win, and — in the future — how all future celebrations compare.</p>
<p>Before we begin, here’s what each letter means:</p>
<ul>
<li>Crowd Work: When you win, are you a man of the people?</li>
<li>Elation: How much did you let loose?</li>
<li>Looper Moment: That first hug/fist bump/whatever with the caddie is so important</li>
<li>Emotion: You know you get MASSIVE points for tears in this one</li>
<li>Body Work: Separate from elation/emotion, how good was the sheer physicality?</li>
<li>Relations: Family? Friends? Agents?</li>
<li>Awkwardness: Golf can be an awkward sport, we love it, and here we reward it</li>
<li>Theatrics: A catch-all category for any other BIG elements of the celebration</li>
<li>Interview: The victory interview. How well did they execute?</li>
<li>Opponent interaction: Was there respect shown to the enemy? We love respect.</li>
<li>N-tangibles: Anything — and everything — else</li>
</ul>
<p>With thanks to our friends at the PGA Tour, you can refer to this video from Hovland’s victory as we go through the scale point by point:</p>
<p><iframe src="//players.brightcove.net/6181004287001/lK20vBz8j_default/index.html?videoId=6335743086112" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Now, how did Viktor fare? Let’s dig in.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Crowd Work</strong></h3>
<p>Viktor has always been a charmer — he’s got a little Arnold Palmer in him, which is why I always call him “The Norwegian Palmer” to blank stares — and you have to give him props for his quick acknowledgment of the crowd with the hat wave at 0:19. Extra points for throwing the ball to the crowd at 0:55, and then, at 1:11 and again at 1:15, he gives some love to the police who have presumably been following him around as hired security for most of the round. You might think working a golf tournament is a sweet gig for an officer whose job might ordinarily be far more dangerous, but having seen those guys up close, you’d be wrong. It’s a thankless job — you have to wear heavy clothes in extreme heat, scan for trouble constantly, and deal with lots of drunk people. True story, I once had a cop assigned to follow Bryson DeChambeau’s group in New Jersey at the last Northern Trust tell me that sometimes he thought it was easier to just be in the street. Viktor giving them respect is admirable. Then, in the interview at 2:30, he thanks the crowd for being awesome.<br />
On the down side, the crowd interaction taken as a whole was pretty minimal, particularly for how much the crowd loves him, and you can’t help but notice that his high-five ratio as he walked down the rope line was pretty low. He’s got to hit the gym to get that ratio up.<br />
<strong>Score: 5.5/10</strong></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Elation</strong></h3>
<p>We’re tempted to give Viktor a break here because it’s the end of a long season, he seemed tired, and he won by so many strokes that there was probably less adrenaline rush than usual. But we have to stick by the scientific rigour of the scale, and the truth is that the elation just never came. When he made the putt, he went to pick it up just like he was playing the seventh hole on Thursday. He didn’t even stop to put his hands on his head or smile. And once he has the ball, he exhales in relief and gets on with the obligations.<br />
<strong>Score: 1.7/10</strong></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Looper Moment</strong></h3>
<p>Starting at 0:32, this is just a masterclass. Viktor unleashes that smile — it has to be the best smile in golf, at this point — embraces Shay Knight, and even does the sort of flat palm back rub to show you that this is no casual, compulsory embrace &#8230; this is a serious hug. Knight tells him some joke, they share genuine laughter, and it lasts a full and satisfying ten seconds. You can see how much these guys like each other, and how much they’re locked in. Then, a few seconds later, they pat each other on the back one more time as Hovland gives Knight his putter. A Classic.<br />
<strong>Score: 9.5/10</strong></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Emotion</strong></h3>
<p>A little bit of a letdown. The best moments come when he hugs Knight, embraces the cops, and greets the other players. But otherwise, it’s a lot of relief, and no, we don’t get any tears. Not even close. People are asking: Does Viktor need a crying coach?<br />
<strong>Score: 3.4/10</strong></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Body Work</strong></h3>
<p>Hovland is one of the coolest-seeming guys on Tour, so you know he’s never going to get out over his skis from a physical perspective. The upside here is that, as expected, he looks cool doing basically everything. The hat tip, the bro shakes, the hugs &#8230; I mean, this guy’s hair and forehead even looks good when he takes his hat off, which is a near-impossible feat in golf. He’s not even sweating! This is Atlanta, and he’s barely got a sheen! He’s pure charm, top to bottom.<br />
However, he’s also giving us very little to judge. No fist pump, no running, nothing. You lose points for that.<br />
And I do want to draw your attention to the 1:42 mark of the video, and his handshake with Jay Monahan. There, Viktor comes way over the top with his arm. Way, way over the top. His elbow is up by his ear! It may be partially because he had to get that arm over the trophy, to be fair. But it’s just such a high handshake. I don’t know what to think about it.<br />
<strong>Score: 5.2/10.</strong></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Relations</strong></h3>
<p>No family or friends on the scene, so we have to settle for his agent, Sam MacNaughton, at 1:28, and then his buddy Matt Fitzpatrick a second later, who waited for him at scoring. Nice, but all pretty standard and quick.<br />
<strong>Score: 4.2/10</strong></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Awkwardness</strong></h3>
<p>I’m sad to say that Viktor Hovland is perhaps the least awkward human being on the PGA Tour. Everything he does looks so smooth, and this is no exception. I’m not giving him a straight zero, because of that handshake with Monahan, but beyond that, this is one cool customer. He loses serious points here.<br />
<strong>Score: 0.7/10</strong></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Theatrics</strong></h3>
<p>The idea here is that anything he says or does that can’t fit into the other categories. Here, everything is pretty standard. He doesn’t jump into any lakes, throw his hat, or anything like that. With such a comfortable win, this was always going to be tough, but we’ll give him a few points for chucking the ball into the crowd. But everything else? Pretty tame, right up to the end of the video when he holds the trophy up to the crowd in a very classy, understated way.<br />
<strong>Score: 3.4/10</strong></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Interview</strong></h3>
<p>The chat with Amanda Balionis starts at 1:48, and as she reads off his achievements, he keeps a nice, self-effacing smile that makes you like him more despite the fact that he’s better at this one thing than any of us will be at anything. Then he makes the classy gesture of thanking the crowd, takes us through the momentum of his round — he had to change his game plan when Xander made a charge — and the whole thing is pretty fluent. It’s not very exciting, and he doesn’t try to be funny or meaningful, but he keeps it very classy. Standard, and maybe just slightly closed off, but within the standard realm, there’s a quiet charisma there.<br />
<strong>Score: 6.0/10</strong></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Opponent Interaction</strong></h3>
<p>Starting at 0:20, you can see that Viktor has perfected what I think of as the patented Rafa Nadal “I’m so sorry I beat you” act. (I’m a huge Rafa guy, so this is a major compliment.) What this entails is a kind of shoulder shrug, a tilt of the head, and tightening of the lips with maybe a slight twist of the mouth — a look of something close to regret that communicates the idea that “I got this one, but we really battled out there, and while I’m not exactly sorry for you, I empathise.” It’s quite a tightrope to walk, but with Xander Schauffele and his caddie Austin Kaiser, Viktor is absolutely perfect. He lets Xander do most of the talking, he smiles at his joke, pats him on the shoulder, and generally seems the exact right amount of conciliatory without being condescending. Ditto for Kaiser, and he also has the class to keep it short. Nobody wants to talk for very long after they’ve lost.<br />
If you love respect for the opponent, this was the highlight of Viktor’s celebration. I doubt we’ll see anyone do it better.<br />
<strong>Score: 10/10</strong></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>N-Tangibles</strong></h3>
<p>The chest pat Hovland gives Kaiser is a classic under-used move &#8230; Viktor’s laugh is a gem, between smile and laugh he’s a true two-tool happiness guy &#8230; credit for how he shows the crowd the ball for a moment before the underarm windmill toss &#8230; if you’re the one guy he high-fives on his walk to the scoring tent, you must be feeling like a million bucks &#8230; you have to respect the way he nods along to Balionis when she’s asking the first question at 1:55, but changes emotional registers with the nod itself and the smile, a classic pro’s move &#8230; speaking of pro moves, nice job by him getting the Ping hat back on at 1:13, knowing the cameras are still rolling.<br />
<strong>Score: 5.9/10</strong></p>
<p><strong>Overall Score: 55.5</strong></p>
<p><strong>Final analysis:</strong> This is not going to go down as one of the all-time great celebrations, clearly, but Viktor gets a ton of credit for his caddie moment and his interaction with Xander, tremendous efforts that lifted his total score just barely over the 50 per cent mark and took this celebration from “dud” to “average.” Considering the lack of drama in the endgame, you have to respect the effort to salvage this one. And since this is the first time we’ve ever done this, he’s the clubhouse leader. That’s not nothing.</p>
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		<title>WATCH: The Norwegian broadcast booth got so fired up for Viktor Hovland’s win that they taunted Xander Schauffele</title>
		<link>https://mot-backup.golfdigestme.com/watch-the-norwegian-broadcast-booth-got-so-fired-up-for-viktor-hovlands-win-that-they-taunted-xander-schauffele/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Golf Digest Middle East]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Aug 2023 07:34:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[PGA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FedEx Cup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Norway]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Tour Championship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Viktor Hovland]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[<p>'Taste that one, Xander!'</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: #999999;"><em><strong>PGA Tour</strong></em></span></p>
<p>As golf fans have learned in recent years, there’s an added bonus when Viktor Hovland wins a PGA Tour event. That, of course, is the tour posting footage from the Norwegian broadcast booth soon after. <span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong><a style="color: #ff6600;" href="https://golfdigestme.com/the-norwegian-booth-delivered-their-most-unhinged-broadcast-yet-after-viktor-hovlands-bmw-championship-61/">ELECTRIC footage, that is</a></strong></span>.</p>
<p>That’s because announcers Henrik Bjornstad and Per Haugsrud, both former pro golfers themselves, get extremely animated during the broadcast.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Tour getting ready to post the Norwegian booth call of Hovland’s win <br /> <a href="https://t.co/GYkhWYPi8s">pic.twitter.com/GYkhWYPi8s</a></p>
<p>&mdash; claire rogers (@kclairerogers) <a href="https://twitter.com/kclairerogers/status/1695933294859239474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Anyway, Hovland’s latest win on Sunday at the Tour Championship to claim the FedEx Cup had golf fans looking forward to this pair’s take on events. And they didn’t disappoint in footage shared by the tour on Tuesday.</p>
<p>With Hovland beating Xander Schauffele by fives shots, there wasn’t much drama down the stretch at East Lake during the final round. But the 25-year-old did sink a 23-footer for par on the 14th hole that kept his then three-shot lead intact, causing Bjornstad and Haugsrud to go nuts as they nearly high-fived each other’s hands off.</p>
<p>But in that excitement, Haugsrud couldn’t resist blurting out a taunt at Schauffele. Have a look and listen:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Norwegian announce call we’ve all been waiting for ??<a href="https://twitter.com/PerHaugsrud?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PerHaugsrud</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/henrikbjornstad?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HenrikBjornstad</a> react to Viktor Hovland making history <a href="https://twitter.com/TOURChamp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TOURChamp</a>. <a href="https://t.co/3cABQ2bKkU">pic.twitter.com/3cABQ2bKkU</a></p>
<p>&mdash; PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) <a href="https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1696588255389438361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>“That is par! Taste that one, Xander!” Even Xander would have to find that funny. Maybe.</p>
<p>Anyway, great stuff as always from these two, who shared a nice victory hug when it was all over. And we can only imagine their reaction if when Hovland wins a major. Can’t wait!</p>
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		<title>Before Viktor Hovland gets into Ryder Cup prep mode, one more FedEx Cup celebration awaits</title>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Golf Digest Middle East]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Aug 2023 06:46:24 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News & Tours]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Viktor Hovland]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://golfdigestme.com/?p=70488</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>By the time his to-do list was complete at East Lake, it was after 10pm. As such, the celebrations with Hovland and his team in the player lounge within East Lake’s clubhouse were rather mild</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>Kevin C Cox</strong></em></p>
<p>The post-victory obligations for the winner of the Tour Championship are so extensive that Viktor Hovland ate his dinner on the run Sunday night. “Are you eating Chipotle?” Hovland’s caddie, Shay Knight, is seen asking in a PGA Tour video showing Hovland eating a cup of Chipotle guac and chips on the practice putting green at East Lake.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Viktor Hovland’s first meal after the win? Chipotle. <a href="https://t.co/9uX8QyO55Z">pic.twitter.com/9uX8QyO55Z</a></p>
<p>&mdash; PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) <a href="https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1695977556510376140?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>By the time his to-do list was complete at East Lake, it was after 10pm. As such, the celebrations with Hovland and his team in the player lounge within East Lake’s clubhouse were rather mild.</p>
<p>“We were all waiting upstairs in the locker room and the crew was drinking, but everyone was extremely exhausted after the three weeks on the road,” said Knight, a veteran caddie from Australia. The PGA Tour’s playoffs series consists of three consecutive events. Hovland won the second of those, the BMW in Chicago, and the Tour Championship finale.</p>
<p>Hovland’s first season-long title deserves a more thorough celebration, so the team will rendezvous this Friday night in Edmond, Oklahoma, an hour from the former Oklahoma State star’s residence at Stillwater.</p>
<p>“We’ll have a nice dinner and some drinks to celebrate. It’s going to be a good time,” Knight said. Not only will the Norwegian and his support staff toast the $18 million FedEx Cup victory bonus, but a season in which he rose to another level. The World No. 4 won three times, including a first victory on US soil at the Memorial Tournament (following earlier victories in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Germany and Dubai), as well as two FedEx Cup playoffs events. On the majors stage, the 25-year-old registered a top-10 at the Masters and a career-best T-2 at the PGA Championship.</p>
<p>“Winning a major would have been icing on cake, but the Tour Championship is such a monumental accomplishment. It shows he had an incredibly consistent season and then played out of his mind at the end when it counts,” said Knight, noting as well the fact Hovland didn’t miss a cut all season and also was second at the Players Championship.</p>
<p>While claiming the PGA Tour’s season finale, there’s still plenty of golf remaining in 2023 for Hovland. Next week, Luke Donald will name the six captain’s picks for the European Ryder Cup team to go with the six automatic qualifiers that will be locked up this weekend (Hovland has his wrapped up off the World Points List). After that, Hovland, Knight and his team will head to Rome to play a September 11 practice round with the European Ryder Cup team at host course, Marco Simone. After a dinner and bonding session that night, the Europeans then will head to England the following day for the DP World Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA at Wentworth.</p>
<p>“That Monday in Rome will be about getting a feel for the thickness of the rough, and maybe some talk of pairings,” Knight said. “It’s about together, bonding over dinner. The Europeans do it so well. The feeling we saw for Viktor’s first Ryder Cup [2021 at Whistling Straits] is an energy unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s incredible.”</p>
<p>Hovland then has six weeks off between the Ryder Cup and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in November — where he’ll attempt to claim another season-long title in 2023.</p>
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