That Norway’s Viktor Hovland is at the top when it comes to major competitions has become more and more of a habit.
After one round of the PGA Championship, he again challenges for victory.
– I’m starting to get more and more comfortable in these situations, he says to the PGA of America.
Hovland has set his sights. Close game and putting are two disciplines he has improved in recent seasons, and which now give him a chance to win in major competition after major competition.
Reuters
After one round, Viktor Hovland shares sixth place, three strokes behind the cracker Eric Cole (who did not have time to finish his first round during Thursday’s play).
It has become increasingly common for the Norwegian to be at the top of the big competitions.
As recently as the Masters at Augusta National earlier this year, he led after the first day of play.
– I am starting to enjoy myself more and more in these contexts, and have learned every time. One thing I learned is that I think I was a little too aggressive before, when the courses are this difficult. It’s about playing stress-free golf, making a lot of pars, and seeing birdies as a bonus when they come, he says and continues:
– There were many tough flag placements today, far out at the edges of the greens.
And if you go for those placements but don’t hit good shots, it can quickly cost you. My strategy was therefore to hit the middle of the green and sink a few bonus putts.
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Hovland began his round on hole ten. He made bogey straight away. The start could have been better. But he got up.
– There was a lot that was good. I didn’t have the best start, but knew that the course was difficult for everyone. As long as I could keep hitting good shots, birdies would eventually come.
– And they did. I made five birdies out there, which I’m very happy with.
Leading the charge is Eric Cole, the 34-year-old rookie is five under par after 14 holes played. His previous best finish on the PGA Tour is a runner-up finish from earlier this year when he fell to Chris Kirk in a playoff at the Honda Classic. Now he entered the PGA Championship as fifth reserve. To find a landslide win in a similar style, we have to go back to 1991 when John Daly won. He entered the race at Crooked Stick as ninth reserve.
Up at the top we also find names like Scottis Scheffler and Dustin Johnson.
Both Swedes, Alex Norén and David Lingmerth, answered for weak starts of this year’s PGA Championship. +4 and +6, respectively, mean that they have largely already squandered their chances.
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