Viktor Hovland has committed to competing in two marque PGA Tour events later this campaign, amid reports that the European star could become the next star to join LIV Golf.
Hovland ended the 2023 campaign as the PGA Tour's top-ranked player, winning the FedEx Cup title after victory at the season-ending Tour Championship last August. In recent months however, the Norwegian has been linked with a shock move to the LIV setup, following in the footsteps of his Ryder Cup teammates Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.
According to the Guardian, LIV had outlined Hovland as their next top target, and speculation grew stronger from breakaway league CEO Greg Norman revealed that he had privately met with one of the PGA Tour's biggest stars over making the switch.
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For now however it appears Hovland's loyalties will remain to the Tour, after committing to compete in the Travelers Championship in June, and the Genesis Scottish Open a month later - an event co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour. Hovland's entry to the event in Scotland was confirmed on Wednesday alongside his Ryder Cup teammates Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Aberg
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“I’ve played the Genesis Scottish Open a couple of times now and it’s always a fun week," Hovland said. "It’s a great time to have the DP World Tour and PGA Tour guys coming together in the week before the Open.” The FedEx Cup champion has previously played down his chances of making the Saudi switch, despite his recent links.
He did however hit out at the PGA Tour's handling of their LIV rivals, questioning the leadership abilities of commissioner Jay Monahan. “There were some things that were said that have been walked back on and then things have been very contradictory," he commented.
Viktor Hovland won the FedEx Cup last summer (Getty Images)"As a leader of an organisation, I will want a person like that to take some ownership and say, hey, we made a couple of mistakes, but this is how we’re going to rectify it, instead of kind of sweeping it under the rug, which I felt like has been done to a certain degree.”
Like many, the 26-year-old is hoping to see the ongoing feud between the two rival tours come to an end, with the PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) continuing to negotiate a deal that will reunite professional golf. Clearly unimpressed with the fallout Hovland told the Son Of A Butch Podcast last month: "It’s a little comical to see what’s going on in the game of golf.
" But I hope there’s a resolution in the future because at the end of the day, I just want to compete at the best golf courses, the best tournaments and against the best players." He went on: "However that’s going to happen, I don’t know, but that’s what I’d like to see."
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