Viktor Hovland commits to Travelers Championship amid LIV Golf rumours
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Viktor Hovland has said in the past he prefers to work through issues in his game by training rather than fixing them during competition.
PHOTO: AFP
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LOS ANGELES – He may have been a target of LIV Golf but, at least for the foreseeable future, Viktor Hovland is not leaving the PGA Tour.
The seventh-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking has committed to the Travelers Championship in June, the tournament organisers announced on April 30.
The Norwegian crashed out of the Masters in April by shooting an 81 in the second round to miss the cut. He subsequently withdrew from the following week’s signature event, the RBC Heritage.
But Hovland has said in the past he prefers to work through issues in his game by training rather than fixing them during competition. It was the same case when he withdrew from the WM Phoenix Open in February after a tough run at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am the week before.
The 26-year-old has also denied interest in joining LIV Golf in the past, though players like Jon Rahm of Spain have been swayed to defect for the right price.
Hovland won the FedExCup last summer by clinching the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship in consecutive weeks. But he is off to a rough start in 2024, with only one top-20 finish in six starts, as he tries to fix his swing.
The June 20-23 Travelers event, in which Hovland ended tied-29th a year ago, will take place the week after the US Open. It is a signature event for the second year running, featuring a prize pool of US$20 million (S$27.3 million).
“Viktor is one of the promising young players we gave a sponsor’s exemption to in 2019, and it hasn’t taken him long to show why he deserved that opportunity,” Travelers executive vice-president Andy Bessette said in a statement.
“He’s made an impression with his play – he’s won on the PGA Tour each of the past four seasons – but he’s also one of the nicest, most down-to-earth people you’ll ever meet.
“We’re excited to watch him compete and be part of our world-class player field this year.”
In other golf news, Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from The CJ Cup Byron Nelson this week due to a flare-up with his surgically repaired back.
The 27-year-old underwent back surgery following the 2023 Masters and was sidelined until January, when he returned and finished last in a 20-man field at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
“My back needs some rest and recovery,” the 30th-ranked Zalatoris wrote on Instagram on April 30. “I am ahead of schedule according to my doctors but, unfortunately, the first six months back are the most important for the long-term health of my back. I need to be prudent to make sure I don’t miss a big chunk of time again.
“I hate that a flare-up happened during one of my favourite weeks all year, but knew something like this was a possibility early on in my return to golf.” REUTERS
