We’d prefer to welcome reigning FedExCup champion Viktor Hovland on the 2024 TOUR Championship. You’re coming in right here at No. 17 off of some stable weeks in Memphis and Denver. Are you able to give us some feedback on the state of your sport heading into East Lake this week.
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I really feel like issues are getting higher each single week, in order that’s good to construct on. Clearly I had a very nice week in Memphis and performed okay final week. I simply couldn’t get something going with my putter.
I’d quite play dangerous if I putted poorly as an alternative of hitting it throughout Denver. I’m taking some good issues into this week. Clearly a very completely different golf course, so sort of need to spend a while getting used to the brand new golf course, however nonetheless simply sort of engaged on the identical processes, and hopefully it clicks somewhat bit higher this week.
Q. You’re making your fifth consecutive begin right here at East Lake and the newly restored golf course is high of thoughts. Can we get some feedback on that and what it’s like? I heard you performed the entrance yesterday.
I solely performed the entrance yesterday, and simply as quickly as I walked on the property, I used to be sort of shocked. It appears to be like nothing prefer it used to. Looks as if he’s mainly modified each single gap on the market. It was simply sort of wild how a lot you possibly can truly change the holes with probably not shifting holes round. It’s all sort of in the identical place, however but not one of the holes look precisely the identical.
I might in all probability attempt to describe an individual that’s by no means been right here earlier than what it used to appear to be, and it’s virtually like you possibly can’t think about it.
It’ll be attention-grabbing to sort of get used to it, that’s for certain.
Q. What was the largest change out right here that obtained your consideration? What gap?
Properly, No. 1 was like — I began off of 1, so after I noticed 1, I’m like, wow, that is fully completely different. It’s manner longer.
I feel the inexperienced areas — as quickly as I noticed the inexperienced areas, that was like, okay, wow, that is going to be a very completely different golf course as a result of now you’ve got enormous undulating greens with large runoffs, and as an alternative of getting tight Bermuda across the greens, you’ve got actually, actually tight zoysia. It’s simply going to play fully completely different.
I felt like the remainder of the course was sort of indicative of what I noticed on No. 1.
Q. What did you consider 9?
I feel it appears to be like high quality, however I additionally thought what it was once was high quality, as effectively. I feel perhaps it was getting somewhat bit too extreme in direction of the again portion of the outdated inexperienced, however now with the greens being so agency and should you put the tees all the best way within the again, these left gap areas, I’m undecided you possibly can even cease it there.
I feel you may need to place the tee ahead on that gap. However yeah, I assumed it was okay. It wasn’t my favourite gap.
Q. From a method standpoint, are the adjustments extra off the tee and having to vary your traces or across the greens? You talked about among the chipping areas.
One of many issues — I wouldn’t say East Lake ever had a variety of technique off the tee earlier than. It was all the time sort of tree-lined fairways, slender fairways, and also you had an occasional bunker right here and there. However often it’s simply sort of — you both hit driver or 3-wood, and it’s a must to hit it straight.
I actually do recognize that sort of golf as a result of I feel timber actually add quite a bit to the technique of the golf course.
However a minimum of right here when he’s taken away so many timber, you actually have to emphasise the technique portion of it or else it simply turns into a bombing-fest the place everybody hits driver.
And I do assume Andrew has achieved an incredible job with positioning sure bunkers in there. You actually need to assume, okay, effectively, if I wish to cowl this bunker, I’ve to fret in regards to the subsequent bunker and how much angle I’m getting in there and all that stuff. I feel he’s achieved a reasonably good job with that.
Q. Do you just like the adjustments? And the way do you are taking it as that is the course to determine the FedExCup? Does that assist it, harm it?
I feel if I might have proven — now, talking in thoughts I haven’t been to the again 9 but, I’ve solely seen the entrance 9, but when the entrance 9 is sort of indicative to the again, then I might say if I confirmed up right here and I’d by no means seen the golf course earlier than, then I might say, yeah, appears to be like fairly good. It’s a reasonably good golf course. Appears fairly laborious, as effectively.
However simply from being right here 4 or 5 instances earlier than and simply remembering what it was once, I simply assume it was a far more sort of simplistic golf course earlier than, but it surely was nonetheless — it was easy but it surely was very, excellent. I’m nonetheless somewhat bit biased in direction of what it was once.
However I perceive the entire look of the golf course, as quickly as I stepped foot right here and noticed the inexperienced areas and stuff, I assumed, okay, it is a main championship golf course. That looks like what he’s tried to do with the place.
In my coronary heart, it’s like, East Lake was by no means — it by no means had that look, and it’s such a historic place. It’s like, ought to we actually attempt to make East Lake appear to be a significant championship golf course. That’s sort of the one place I’m at. However I don’t assume he’s achieved a foul job. It’s simply the type of it.
Q. Final week you have been the defending champion at a very completely different course in a distinct state. This time you’re on the similar course. However do you’re feeling such as you’re defending at a distinct course?
It’s virtually the identical state of affairs as final week it seems like. Yeah, simply each single gap is completely different. It’s going to take a barely completely different sport to play effectively this week in comparison with what it was once final yr.
Q. Do you’ve got a way of what a successful rating could possibly be?
I’d need to see the again first, however I feel it’s positively going to be more durable. It relies upon additionally the place you place a few of these pins at as a result of I used to be taking a look at a few potential pin areas, and for instance, on 2 once you tuck the pin to the correct there simply over the bunkers — as a result of the greens are so agency, nobody goes to go for the pin.
However in the course of the inexperienced you’ve got a slope that’s proper to left. So the place you wish to hit it, you’re hitting good photographs center of the inexperienced, however then the ball slopes away from the pin.
I don’t know the place the sure pin areas are going to be, however you can make this place very tough.
Q. How would you evaluate your sport this week versus the way you felt coming in right here final yr?
Properly, if final yr was a 9 out of 10, I’d in all probability say we’re nonetheless at a 5, 5 out of 10, 4, 5 out of 10 proper now. I do know I can nonetheless shoot good numbers, but it surely simply feels prefer it’s somewhat bit extra laborious work. It’s more durable for me to sort of string the nice rounds collectively daily.
Final yr I performed effectively. I knew I performed effectively. Each single day was a great day. Whereas now it simply seems like somewhat bit extra laborious work. However a minimum of I’m heading in the right direction.
Q. On No. 1 at the moment, what did you hit into the inexperienced, having hit a driver off the tee? Was it completely different from final yr? If that’s the case, what was the membership, and what similarities or variations did you see on the holes that you simply performed?
So final yr — yesterday after I performed, I didn’t actually heat up. I simply went straight to the primary tee. However I hit a very nice drive and it was barely into the wind, and I attempted to hit a 6-iron going into the inexperienced and I nonetheless left it in need of the opening.
For me, in all probability the correct membership would have been a great drive and a great 5-iron right into a slight breeze yesterday. Whereas final yr we have been hitting driver, wedge on that gap. That’s a reasonably large distinction, particularly right into a inexperienced that’s uphill. It’s blind. It’s an enormous inexperienced. You don’t essentially know all of the slopes and the place to land it.
As for similarities, I don’t —
Q. Apart from No. 1, are there completely different distances you have been hitting your method photographs on different holes on the entrance aspect?
I might say they’re pretty related. Just like the par-5, sixth was somewhat bit completely different as a result of it’s a dogleg proper now, so it was a driver, 4-iron in there, however I’ve hit driver, 4-iron in there up to now, as effectively. Not too loopy completely different on the remaining holes.
Q. We all know this yr was sort of a curler coaster for you, however how do you consider your efficiency all year long, event outcomes? Do you even have a look at that, or are you basing every part off of really feel and the way your swing is feeling?
I wouldn’t say I’ve been very proud of this yr, however I do assume I’ve realized quite a bit. What’s actually cool is that I’ve nonetheless made it to this week taking part in what I felt like is absolute rubbish. I feel that’s one thing that’s fairly cool to sort of have in my again pocket is that okay, we will battle and we will nonetheless come out right here and have an opportunity to win tournaments.
I feel that’s actually cool. That’s sort of how I’m processing this. Yeah, I’ll sit down by the tip of the yr and actually have a look at the entire course of the yr. However I really feel like I do a reasonably good job of that, of analyzing every week as they go, so I do know the place I’m at.
It’s not like I’ve to play three months in a row and go, what did I do the final three months. I’m all the time sort of current and analyzing what’s happening.
I’m simply comfortable we’re shifting in the correct path.
Q. Within the low season what is going to you do along with your time largely?
I don’t know. We’ll see. I’d positively prefer to apply somewhat bit extra and sort of actually combine a few of these adjustments or the trail that I’m shifting on. I actually wish to guarantee that we’re solidifying that path and it’s headed to a great path in order that for 2025 I’m able to go and simply get after it.
Q. Alongside these traces, what a part of you was happy or upset popping out of Memphis, realizing that you simply have been effectively outdoors and also you have been fairly locked into right here? I can’t think about this was written in ink, being right here this yr.
VIKTOR HOVLAND: No, it wasn’t. Clearly what Hideki did, birdie-birdie end, I might have preferred to have completed somewhat bit higher, however I couldn’t be very upset. After being 2-over par after 15 holes on Thursday after which having an opportunity to win the golf event with a pair holes left, that clearly — as an alternative of simply attempting to make it into Denver, I used to be already locked up right here.
I imply, I used to be tremendous pumped simply to come back again and switch a reasonably dangerous yr into an okay yr, making it right here.
I’m simply sort of pumped that the curve is trending upwards, and I’ve simply obtained to experience that wave and maintain it going.
Q. Subsequent yr goes to be our fourth yr in a row of doing Memphis, rotating BMW after which East Lake. Are you okay with that, or would you prefer to see somewhat extra selection within the submit season?
I feel it’s fairly cool sort of going again to the identical locations. I feel TPC Southwind is a superb golf course. I’ve all the time been a fan of East Lake, so sort of having two related — or the identical stops out of the three — I feel BMW is a cool one to rotate round, and we’ve been to some superb locations the few years that I’ve performed that occasion.
I feel it really works, but when the followers wish to see some place else, perhaps that must be one thing to take a look at, however I additionally assume it really works. We go to Augusta yearly, and I don’t assume individuals complain about that.
Yeah, I feel it really works.
