Viktor Hovland has ruled out the possibility of a move to LIV Golf in the near future, admitting that he doesn't think the format would be good for his game.
The six-time PGA Tour winner was a guest on Discovery’s golf podcast, FORE! and, in his native Norwegian, with the quotes translated into English, first outlined how he sees the current state of the game after Jon Rahm’s LIV Golf move.
Hovland admitted that the emergence of LIV Golf has given players plenty to consider. He said: “You actually have to think about what alternatives are out there. What is best for me? Maybe I can be a part of making a change in professional golf? It pushes things that way."
The PGA Tour is currently engaged in discussions with the Saudi Public Investment Fund that finances LIV Golf over a way for the entities to coexist from next year. However, while there is uncertainty over the outcome of those talks, Hovland said the elite game can’t remain as fractured as it has been for almost two years.
He continued: “Now things have to happen. You can't have a split that goes that way, it only destroys the sport of golf. I hope that things will happen, but I don't know and neither does anyone else. I just hope that it will return to a certain normality in the future.”
Hovland thinks that, ultimately, the fans will miss out if there remains a separation at the top of the game. “It is important that the fans do not lose out on all this here,” he explained. “Without fans, there won't be as many tournaments for us to play, and then it won't be as cool to play either. We have to find a product that people want to look at."
Even with Rahm’s departure, the PGA Tour still boasts many of the world's best players, including Hovland. However, LIV Golf now has its share of high-profile stars, too, with the Spaniard joining the likes of PGA Champion Brooks Koepka, 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, who won The 2022 Open, and two-time Major winner Dustin Johnson.
Hovland acknowledged that the PGA Tour is now weaker because of LIV Golf. He continued: "There is, of course, a division there. The PGA Tour is not as strong as before, that is a fact. The more people leave [for] LIV, the stronger they become and the weaker the PGA Tour becomes. I think it's crazy.”
As for his own future, Hovland admitted the circuit’s no-cut, limited-field format is unappealing. He said: “I’m not such a fan of, for example, playing without a cut. You need 150 players and a cut. If you don't play well enough, you're out. There is something about it that makes your game a little sharper.
“If I had gone to LIV, I don't think I would have become a better golfer. And then it is, in a way, end of discussion. But I can't blame people who make that decision and go over there. Then we have to try to find an arrangement in the end. We'll see.”
He then ruled out a move to LIV Golf, at least in the immediate future. When asked: "So we won't get to see Viktor Hovland on the LIV tour right away?" he replied: “No, I doubt that.”
During the same interview, Hovland said the PGA Tour had done “such a bad job” and said he “totally understands” why Rahm left for LIV Golf.
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