Since turning pro in 2019, Viktor Hovland has been a regular presence on the PGA Tour.
With seven Tour wins to his name, even if his recent results have been inconsistent, there’s no doubt that Hovland remains among the top players in the game.
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He did pick up a win at the Valspar Championship in March 2025. That was something to build on. Even though overall it’s been a tough stretch, there are still positives to take away from this year.
And he’ll be heading into the new season full of optimism.
This week, he’ll be facing Brooks Koepka at the WM Phoenix Open, and later in the year, he’s set for a meeting with Patrick Reed in about seven months’ time.
Viktor Hovland responds to Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed’s return to PGA Tour
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
In the past month, both Koepka and Reed have walked away from LIV Golf and found routes back onto the PGA Tour.
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While plenty of players are happy to see Koepka return, there has also been some criticism directed at Brian Rolapp and others for reopening doors to those who left for LIV.
Hovland shared his thoughts on Koepka and Reed leaving LIV, as well as their reentry into the PGA Tour:
“I mean, just for my personal standpoint I would say I enjoy playing against those guys,” Hovland admitted.
“I think obviously Patrick Reed being a major champion and great player and Brooks a five-time major champion, that’s a great addition to the PGA TOUR. They’re great players and I want to compete against the greatest players out there.
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“I think it just makes the product, the fields better. However, it does kind of put the TOUR in a tricky position now. You’ve said one thing for a long time and now we’re changing things. What precedent are you setting then to future players now if I can go to a rival tour, get paid, and now seemingly come back again without the biggest consequences.
“I don’t really have an opinion on that to be honest. That’s something the TOUR has to figure out. I’m sure there are a lot of people not going to be super happy about that, but at the end of the day I just want to compete against the best players in the world.
“I’m in a place where I have to figure stuff out in my own game, and that’s basically where I’m focusing on. I don’t really want to focus on what the TOUR should be doing right now.“
Viktor Hovland speaks out on whether he regrets turning down LIV Golf move
Hovland was asked directly if he’s had any second thoughts about not making the jump from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf.
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He was quick to explain that the recent headlines about players returning haven’t changed his outlook in the slightest.
“Not really,” Hovland replied. “I just see the news and I go, oh, that’s interesting, and then I just go about my day.
“I got stuff to do, things to figure out, so that’s about the amount of calories I’m spending on reacting to things like that.”
This approach seems to suit Hovland well. His focus remains firmly on his own game and what lies ahead.
And it’s worth noting how much respect he’s earned for sticking with the PGA Tour while others chose a different path.
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