Viktor Hovland wasn’t the favorite to win the Valspar Championship, especially heading into the final round against PGA Tour Top-10 player Justin Thomas. However, with Thomas not playing at his best, the Norwegian golfer capitalized to secure the victory.
After claiming the title, Hovland shared some candid admissions during his post-victory interview with NBC’s Golf Channel. Reflecting on his performance, he remarked, “I hit a lot of disgusting shots,” and admitted, “I’ve got no idea, still kind of sinking in.”
Hovland also revealed that even when Justin Thomas took the lead, he stayed composed under pressure. “J.T. made a birdie on 15 and he was three shots ahead. I still just felt well calm and wasn’t stressing even though I knew I had to make the putt on 14,” he said.
On his triumph, Hovland humorously admitted he didn’t change much in his game to make the cut and eventually win the tournament. “It’s still the same swing…” he commented, adding, “then my iron game, I could still hit good shots but I know there are some bad ones creeping in there. Somehow this week I was able to hit the good shot than I have in recent weeks.”
Hovland Knew Winning the Valspar Championship Would Be Tough
It was a challenging week for Hovland, who acknowledged that he still couldn’t believe he won the trophy. “It’s unbelievable to see that I could win because I honestly did not believe that I could do it this week,” he admitted, referencing his struggle to secure a title since 2023.
It’s worth noting that the last few months were quite rough for Hovland. Winning the Valspar Championship comes as a relief for him, as he had missed the cut in three consecutive tournaments: the Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and Players Championship.
Hovland’s Next Tournament
Hovland is expected to participate in The Masters. He earned an invitation to the tournament as one of the two players who finished in the leading four or tied for fourth place at the 2024 PGA Championship.