History of Viktor Hovland in Timeline

Viktor Hovland is a Norwegian professional golfer competing on the PGA Tour and European Tour. He achieved significant early success, winning the 2018 U.S. Amateur and ascending to the number one position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in 2019.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1960: Jack Nicklaus's U.S. Open record

In 1960, Jack Nicklaus set the previous record for the lowest 72-hole score by an amateur in the U.S. Open, which was broken by Viktor Hovland in 2019.

1998: Matt Kuchar's low amateur honors

In 1998, Matt Kuchar won low amateur honors at both the Masters and U.S. Open, a feat that Viktor Hovland matched in 2019.

2014: Norwegian Amateur Golf Championship win

In 2014, at the age of 16, Viktor Hovland won the Norwegian Amateur Golf Championship.

2016: Began playing college golf at Oklahoma State University

In 2016, Viktor Hovland began playing college golf at Oklahoma State University.

2018: U.S. Amateur win

In 2018, Viktor Hovland won the U.S. Amateur tournament.

2018: U.S. Amateur win and invitations to major tournaments

In 2018, Viktor Hovland won the U.S. Amateur, becoming the first Norwegian player to achieve this. As a result, he earned invitations into the 2019 Masters Tournament, the 2019 U.S. Open, and the 2019 Open Championship.

2019: Turned professional

Following the 2019 U.S. Open, Viktor Hovland turned professional and made his debut at the Travelers Championship in June. This decision meant he forfeited his automatic entry to the 2019 Open Championship.

2019: Reached number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking

In 2019, Viktor Hovland reached number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

2019: College golf at Oklahoma State University

In 2019, Viktor Hovland was still playing college golf at Oklahoma State University.

2019: Low amateur honors at Masters and U.S. Open

In 2019, Viktor Hovland was the low amateur in the Masters Tournament, finishing in a tie for 32nd. He also finished in 12th place and was low amateur at the U.S. Open with a score of 280, breaking Jack Nicklaus's previous record for the lowest 72-hole score by an amateur in the U.S. Open. He also became the first player since Matt Kuchar in 1998 to win low amateur honors at both the Masters and U.S. Open in the same season. He was also the recipient of the Ben Hogan Award, awarded to the best college player in the United States.

2019: Participated in major tournaments

In 2019, as a result of winning the U.S. Amateur in 2018, Viktor Hovland received invitations to and participated in the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship.

2019: Secured PGA Tour card and set PGA Tour record

In August 2019, Viktor Hovland finished tied for second in the Albertsons Boise Open, securing him a PGA Tour card for the 2019–20 season. He also set a PGA Tour record for most consecutive rounds in the 60s, with 19 rounds.

2020: First PGA Tour win

In 2020, Viktor Hovland became the first Norwegian to win on the PGA Tour, achieving this at the Puerto Rico Open.

2021: First European Tour win

In 2021, Viktor Hovland became the first Norwegian to win on the European Tour at the BMW International Open.

2021: Ryder Cup Debut

In September 2021, Viktor Hovland played on the European team in the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, becoming the first Norwegian Ryder Cup member. The U.S. team won, and Hovland's individual record was 0–3–2, tying his Sunday singles match against Collin Morikawa.

December 2022: Hero World Challenge Title Defense

In December 2022, Viktor Hovland successfully defended his title at the Hero World Challenge in Albany, Bahamas, matching Tiger Woods as the only player with back-to-back wins in the event.

2022: Discontinuation of Championships and Invitationals

From 2022, the Championship and Invitational tournaments were discontinued.

September 2023: Ryder Cup Victory

In September 2023, Viktor Hovland played on the European team in the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Guidonia, Rome, Italy. The European team won, and Hovland's individual record was 3–1–1, including a win in his Sunday singles match against Collin Morikawa. He and Ludvig Åberg also set a new record for the largest winning margin in an 18-hole Ryder Cup match.