Viktor Hovland: A look at the Norwegian’s hopes of landing a Major
After becoming a winner on both the PGA and European Tours, we look at the youngster’s chances of taking the ultimate step and joining the Majors club.
Best Bet
Viktor Hovland to win the 2022 PGA Championship at 25/1
And after a second win in America - at the Mayakoba Golf Classic - he became the first Norwegian to score a European Tour success when hoisting the silverware at last weekend's BMW International Open in Germany.
We've seen that only a couple of weeks ago when 26-year-old Jon Rahm won the US Open. Last September Collin Morikawa captured the PGA Championship aged just 23.
Open Championship - Royal St. George's, England
Hovland's best odds: 28/1 Paddy Power
The Masters 2022 - Augusta National, Georgia
Hovland's odds: 28/1 (Paddy Power)
Record at The Masters
2019: T32 (72, 71, 71, 71)
2021: T21 (73, 70, 72, 73)
PGA Championship 2022 - Southern Hills, Oklahoma
Hovland's odds: 25/1
Record at the PGA Championship
2020: T33 (Harding Park, California)
2021: T30 (Kiawah Island, South Carolina)
US Open 2022 - The Country Club, Brookline, Massachusetts
Hovland's odds: 28/1 Planet Sport Bet
Record at the US Open
2019: T12 (Pebble Beach, California)
2020: T13 (Winged Foot, New York)
2021: WD (Torrey Pines, South Carolina)
An eye problem (he got sand in it) meant a withdrawal at Torrey Pines but he took that in his stride, displaying a refreshing humour about the incident on an Instagram post.
And, of course, he quickly put that behind him when winning on the European Tour the following week.
This year's venue is Brookline where Matthew Fitzpatrick won the US Amateur in 2013. It's staged three previous US Opens.
Conclusion
Two solid performances at Augusta National and obvious improvements in his short game suggest he can thrive in the Masters sooner rather than later but perhaps his most interesting chance in 2022 comes in the PGA Championship.