Viktor-y: Hovland Goes Back-To-Back At Mayakoba

Viktor Hovland may be from Norway but he obviously feels at home in Mayakoba.

The 24-year-old rising star was cool, calm and surgical on a breezy Sunday at El Camaleon Golf Club.  After taking control of the World Wide Technology Championship with a stunning Saturday 62, the 2018 U.S. Amateur champion closed the deal over the final 18 holes.  He never let anyone else come through the door — not Justin Thomas, nor fellow Oklahoma State Cowboy Talor Gooch and Scottie Scheffler wasn’t up to the task either.

Three front nine birdies got him to 22-under at the turn and it was clear that Hovland was determined and able to chalk up PGA Tour win number three.  His closing 67 gave him a tournament record 23-under par winning total, three better than he shot when he won this event last year.

His best-ever four-day performance since he turned pro?  “Yes, I think I have to say so,” Hovland nodded after dusting the field.  “I wish I could putt like I did today more often,”  Hovland said wishfully.  He made 28 birdies in four days.  “It was just a blast all week.”

He also credited his improved short game.  “Throughout the week I’ve been chipping it so good.  Hit a couple of bad ones today — it’s still a work in progress.”

“Work in progress,” is a great description of Hovland overall.  When he came out on Tour, it was no secret that the short game — chipping and putting — was the only weakness in his game.  But he’s worked hard on both.

Things didn’t start all that well for Hovland in Mexico.  On Wednesday, Danny Lee was on the range working on speed-training — a popular means of adding more distance.  Hovland was hitting next to him and offered his driver to Lee — it was an inch longer than Lee’s.  Lee swung hard at one and shattered the shaft.  “I felt so sorry for him (Hovland),” Lee said.  “If I had a spare driver I would have given it to him.”

It was James Hahn who came to Hovland’s rescue.  He had a PING G-425 driver with nearly the same specifications as Hovland’s — same swing weight, same loft but a slightly different shaft.  That driver paid off big-time for Hovland, who found fairway after fairway all week, especially on Sunday.

That driver helped Hovland flight his drives down a bit and with it, he hit a beautiful controlled fade — total fairway finder.

The results spoke for themselves.

Hovland had everyone else playing for second.  In the end, it was a hugely poplar solo second by Carlos Ortiz, the native of Mexico who thrilled the gallery as he birdied five of his final seven holes for a 30 coming home.  His 66 beat out Justin Thomas for that runner-up spot.

J.T. finished solo third.  Thomas didn’t come close to having his “A” game, it was probably his “C” game at best — he had a case of the blocks, missing right time and again on Sunday.

As for Hovland, he said of the borrowed driver from Hahn:  “I definitely owe him one. We can negotiate something going forward.”

Hovland won’t be putting that driver in his bag full-time.  “I’ve had my best year off the tee: strokes gained with the one that I had before it broke, so I don’t really see a point in changing that driver, but I could see myself using maybe this setup at certain courses, for sure.   I think it’s very course dependent. I’m definitely hitting it a little bit lower and a little shorter, so it’s great for really fast places where you don’t have to cover things,” he explained. “But I’d say most of the courses we play on the PGA Tour, there’s usually a bunker at 300 or 310 (yards) where you really have to send one up in the air and try to cover the bunker.  That’s where that driver’s not going to be as ideal as the one that I had before.”

Walking down the last hole Hovland joked with his caddie and said something to the effect:  “Ten percent for you and ten percent for James Hahn.’

Don’t think Viktor is going to throw $129k James Hahn’s way.

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