Viktor Hovland has long been linked with a sensational move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf – and now the Norwegian star has admitted he made contact with the breakaway league
Viktor Hovland has admitted that he mulled over defecting to LIV Golf but decided against a stunning switch after talks with chiefs from the Saudi Arabian circuit.
The establishment of the 54-hole tour back in 2022 ushered in a new era within the sport, with a host of household names lured to the Gulf State in the interim period. 2023 Masters victor Jon Rahm is among those who have made the move, with Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau also having been enticed by Greg Norman and his team.
Speculation has abounded in recent months that Hovland, who has won six events on the PGA Tour, could be the next star to potentially be headhunted by LIV. Now, the Norwegian has provided an honest update on his thoughts about the prospect of defecting in the future in the days ahead of the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon.
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Confirming that talks with the PIF-backed entity did take place, he admitted to The Times: “If I’m going to say no to something, I want to at least know what it is. A lot of the players I’ve talked to want more transparency.
“And if you claim you’re representing our best interests, you at least meet with the people involved. Now we’re in this stalemate or whatever you want to call it, but it’s not something that required the prediction of 20 different chess moves.”
Revealing his sympathy for fellow golfers who have been criticized for joining LIV, he asserted: “I have no hard feelings against the guys that went. I completely understand because there are a lot of grey areas at the moment but, for me, I did not think their product was appealing enough to go.”
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Previously, the 26-year-old confessed his frustrations towards PGA Tour chiefs, telling the FORE podcast: “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.”
Ultimately, Hovland’s decision to stay put on the American circuit came out of his desire to improve as a player, as he admitted that he would not make a financially-motivated decision. He added: “Obviously, they’re throwing out a lot of money, but I’ve already made a lot of money. I’m not a very materialistic person. It’s nice to make life easier for yourself, but that’s not what gets me up in the morning.”
“At the end of the day, the question is ‘What’s going to make me a better player?’ And hey, in 20 years, if I’m on the back end of my career, playing LIV Golf wouldn’t be too bad. It might have been a pretty cool opportunity but, right now, it’s something I think I’d probably look back and regret.”