Viktor Hovland has been one of the most popular names when it comes to potential defectors from the PGA TOUR to LIV Golf, but his decision was made clear in a recent interview. Hovland was rumored to be leaving the TOUR on several occasions, including this season, as his game last year would have upped his value significantly. LIV Golf wanted to strike another blow to the TOUR after Jon Rahm made the decision to leave in December.
However, Hovland does not seem enthused about LIV Golf, nor its schedule, as a recent interview with the Norwegian who won the TOUR Championship and the $18 million that came with it last year proved he is excited for several TOUR events that span well into the Summer months: “I’ve played the Genesis Scottish Open a couple of times now, and it’s always a fun week. It’s a great time to have the DP World Tour and PGA Tour guys coming together in the week before the Open.”
Hovland also recently committed to the Travelers Championship in June. The Genesis Scottish Open, played in July, is also a Tour-sanctioned event.
It seems Hovland’s schedule aligns with him staying put on the TOUR, which is not only a big blow to LIV Golf but also a huge advantage for the PGA TOUR moving forward.
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This is not to say that Hovland is perfectly happy with how things have been handled. He also criticized the handling of some of the negotiations between the PGA TOUR and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF):
“There were some things that were said that have been walked back on, and then things have been very contradictory.” Hovland is not the only one who has been less than thrilled with how the merger has been handled. It still has not been agreed to, either, as a deadline for The Masters was set at one point, but that has come and gone. Luckily, for those who are fans of Hovland, he will be sticking around on the PGA TOUR for what seems like the foreseeable future.
