"They're throwing out a lot of money"- Viktor Hovland makes honest admission on considering joining LIV Golf
Viktor Hovland had been linked to LIV Golf with rumors flying of a potential switch. This is something of a rite of passage for golfers now, as the vast majority of them at some point end up being linked with the Saudi-backed tour. However, he never actually made the rumored move. Now, he has shared that he had instructed his agent to explore a potential move and added his reasons for doing so.
He said via Bunkered:
“Obviously, they’re throwing out a lot of money, but I’ve already made a lot of money. I’m not a very materialistic person. It’s nice to make life easier for yourself, but that’s not what gets me up in the morning.”
He said the most important question that needed answering was what would make him a better player. He said playing the rebel tour "wouldn't be too bad" at the end of his career, in the future. Hovland said that would change things, but at the moment, he believes a move is something he'd regret.
Viktor Hovland explains his reasoning for LIV interest
Viktor Hovland didn't think he wanted to move to LIV Golf, but he wanted to be as educated as he could about the conditions before declining the opportunity. The Norwegian golfer said his pursuit of the rebel tour was mostly to find out exactly what he would be saying no to. Though ultimately the information didn't change his mind, he had wanted to know all he could.
He added [via Bunkered]:
“A lot of the players I’ve talked to want more transparency. And if you claim you’re representing our best interests, you at least meet with the people involved. Now we’re in this stalemate or whatever you want to call it, but it’s not something that required the prediction of 20 different chess moves.”
Hovland also said he has "no hard feelings" towards anyone who did make the switch from the PGA Tour. He added that there were a lot of grey areas regarding LIV Golf right now. The tour as a whole seems to not have been enough to entice the young golfer to make the jump.