THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, it's our pleasure to have Viktor Hovland in the interview room this morning. Viktor, thank you for joining us. This will be your fifth Masters appearance, a résumé that includes low amateur honors in 2019 as well as a first round co-lead last year. How has your preparation for the Masters tournament evolved over the years?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: That's a great question. I feel like I've kind of done different things every single year. I still don't really know what exactly I need to do. I think it's something that I just kind of do off the cuff. Some years I feel like I might have to play the golf course a little bit more. Other years it's more maybe practicing.
I spent a lot of time last year practicing all around the greens whereas this year I think it's maybe playing a little bit more on the golf course, getting ready with a couple of tee shots, just kind of getting dialed in off the tee and into the greens.
THE MODERATOR: With that we'll open it up to some other questions.
Q. It looked like you were working with Dana Dahlquist yesterday a little bit and I want to go back to the end of last year. You were playing the best golf maybe of your career. It seemed like an interesting time to make a coaching switch. What went through that and kind of where are you right now with coaches?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I'm still kind of looking for some opinions out there, but I feel like I'm on a good track right now and we'll see where that takes us. But, yeah, I mean, it's one of those things. Like, I was playing great golf last year, but it's not like I'm trying to change my golf swing. It's just sometimes the game of golf you try to do the same every day, but then things aren't the same every day when you go to the golf course. I took a huge break after last year and when I came back, things were a little bit different and I had to kind of find my way back to where I think I'm going to play my best golf. And even at the end of the last year I still felt like, yeah, I was playing great, but I got a lot out of my game and it didn't necessarily feel sustainable, but it's not like I consciously went in and said, hey, we're going to change everything up.
Q. Was it just a function of kind of needing a different voice?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I was always trying to learn, but at the same time, I just felt like I got to basically the pinnacle of what my golf swing was able to do last year, and just when I keep looking back at my swings from 2020, 2021, I just really had more control of the golf ball, in my opinion. During the Scottish Open and British Open last year, I was on the range for probably seven, eight hours after every single round just trying to kind of figure it out a little bit. So, honestly, like, I knew I was playing good golf, but it came a little bit of a surprise that I was able to win the FedExCup right after that. But I still felt like that issue kind of had to be discussed and kind of figured out and that's kind of what I'm doing now.
Q. I'm curious, when you're working through a few tweaks in your technique, be it body tilt or grip or whatever it is, how long does it take you for those changes to kind of bed in and really start feeling comfortable to the point where you don't have to think about them anymore?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Usually not that long. It kind of depends. Most of the time in my career if I've had an issue and I need to work on something, I'll -- and I did this even in college, I would just get right behind a mirror or something and I'll hit balls, do a lot of slow motion swings, and just really feel the changes and groove the movement and if I can do it at a slower pace, then I'll just keep ramping it up until it feels more comfortable and after a certain amount of shots, it just feels comfortable, I go out to the course, and I get that confirmation that it works out there as well and I see the shot that I'm trying to hit and then it just slick clicks, then it's all building confidence from there.
The problem's been when -- and I kind have been dealing with this recently. It's like you're trying to work on something, but it doesn't necessarily feel exactly right, and then that's when you kind of have to go back to the drawing board to keep figuring out until things start to click. I feel like I'm in that situation now. Now I just have to keep practicing and get the reps in and we'll see how long that takes.
Q. When you arrive on property this week and you see the Green Jackets, do you have a sense of wondering what it would be like to have one and envision a day that you would?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I don't really let my mind go that far, but it is pretty cool. It is a pretty special jacket and just to be affiliated with this place in any way, that's pretty cool. Just being here is pretty special, so I'm trying to enjoy that and certainly have to take care of a lot of stuff until we get there, hopefully, on Sunday. But, yeah, just enjoying every minute.
Q. When you are grinding, like you said, for six, seven hours on the range, at the end of that, do you feel satisfied? Do you feel any closer to the answers?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: It depends. Sometimes not, sometimes you feel like you are making progress. I would say a little bit recently it hasn't been that satisfactory, but at the same time, it's, like, either if you don't see the results, you can always learn something. So if you didn't get better, okay, well, what did I try to do today, and then you know, okay, well, that doesn't work, then we need to try something else.
So you can always learn something and it's all a process. It goes up and down in the game of golf, but if you're always trying to see results at the end of the day every single day, you can get pretty disappointed a lot. So I'm always learning, but, yeah, hopefully, more satisfactory range sessions than not, for sure.
Q. How do you know when you're done for the day?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: When your body's too fatigued or -- you would like to end the range session with kind of some answers and you know, okay, well, this was an improvement today and then hopefully you come back the next day and build upon that same thought and just kind of see where that takes you. I would say that's the goal.
Q. When you are tinkering with your swing like you are right now, does it change your goals or expectations for the week, like, coming into the Masters? How does it change your expectations or goals?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I mean, your confidence level is going to be a little bit different than when you don't have any conscious thoughts. That's obviously the end goal when you play this game, is that you show up and you go through your routine and there's almost, like, a blackout. You just react to what you're doing and you see the shots, and the ball flight translates into what you're seeing. That's the goal. When you're not doing that, you have to obviously work to get there.
Now I've still played some really, really good golf having to think about some stuff, so it's not like I'm ruling myself out of a tournament. I'm just aware that, hey, we have some additional challenges that I haven't had in awhile, but that's how it goes.
Q. You talked about each year your prep here being a little bit different and playing more in these days leading up to the tournament. How do you ascertain what you need to do on the practice round days and what are you trying to see out on the golf course?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, well, I've been on the range so much, so I haven't played too much on the golf course, so I figured it's a good idea to play the golf course a few more times than I normally would have. But at the end of the day, yeah, they made a few changes out here on the golf course and it's nice to just get out there and remember some of the places, where to hit it and where not to hit it, but at the end of the day, if you just hit the right shots, if your technique is good and your course management is good, you're probably going to play well. So that is the number one thing.
Q. Last year when you shot 65 on Thursday, you were 5-5 scrambling, including the up-and-down on 18. Those shots, you even said yourself, look, you need a short game around here. I hit some bad shots today. Can you replicate shots like you took on on 18 right now?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I would say so. I think the technique is actually fine. I just have not spent any time on the short game at all kind of the last few months because I've been prioritizing the long game stuff. When you're not hitting your best, you're putting more pressure on the short game out there in the tournaments and I've definitely short-sided myself quite a bit recently, so I'm sure the stats look a little bit worse than they feel like they should be.
But when I get up there, I still feel like I know what I'm supposed to do and I'm still hitting some really nice shots around the greens. It's just short-siding myself definitely pads the short game stats a little bit better and, yeah, just trust the technique and that it will work.
Q. I know it's a stressful week, just major championship week, but what about being here, about the club or the course or anything about this place, brings you delight or brings you joy?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, it's just, like -- and I think I've said this before about a couple places. Like, you just feel the atmosphere or the history in the walls. It's, like, as soon as you enter the property, it's like a spiritual experience, if anything. Like, you just feel the emotions and you feel like you're on very -- just at a different place and you remember all the other Masters championships that have been played here before. You remember the highlights. Yeah, it's just cool to be a part of that, so there's just a lot of gratitude and just excitement to get the Tournament going and hopefully put your name in that list as well, so just super exciting to be here.
Q. What has it been like for you to see some of the players that you perhaps haven't seen in awhile, Phil and Brooks and Jon Rahm? Has there been a lot of camaraderie out there?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, a little bit. I didn't get to see a whole lot of guys yesterday. I saw a couple, and it was nice to chat a little bit. But obviously, I'm busy doing my preparations and they're busy doing their preparations. But they're certainly a couple of the guys out there that I miss and I think it's good that we get to meet and get to play against each other again. Hopefully, everyone at home will enjoy seeing everyone kind of play against each other.
Q. What's your best memory about 2019 and what advice can you tell to all the amateurs in the field?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: That's hard to pick just one or two, but having Coach Bratton on the bag was really special, staying in Butler Cabin one night was pretty cool, obviously becoming a low amateur and sitting there with Tiger Woods, he won in 2019. I hit a couple of really, really nice shots on 15 that I'll always remember, just hooking a 6-iron around there, hitting the green two out of two times. I was pretty happy with that.
Other than that, I mean, it's -- as advice for amateurs, it's a really special week and just enjoy it. I think, obviously, you want to do well and show everyone what you can do because if you're an amateur playing here, yeah, you're an amateur, no one really expects you to play that great, but I know that if you get in here, you are capable of playing some great golf. But I think the more you put pressure on yourself, I think it goes against you. Just kind of show up and enjoy the week and try to be as calm and just enjoy yourself as much as possible, and I think it will be easier to play your best.
Obviously, I think it's very smart to get together with a couple of veterans that have played out here a lot of times and get some practice rounds in with them. I remember I played with Bernhard Langer at one of my first few practice rounds in 2019 and it was just really cool watching him go about his business and watching him play. Certainly, I learned a lot and just you can really pick some of those guys' brains and it will really help your game.
Q. Can you talk about the mindset of a common fan or a common golfer that walks up on the first tee on Thursday to take a tee shot. A lot of guys think about how tough it is, but what's your emotion behind or is there anxiety or a feeling you have when you step on that first tee on Thursday to take that first tee shot?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I would say it just kind of depends how good your game is feeling. It definitely helps -- that tee shot has never been, like, that nerve-racking for me. When I'm swinging it well and I can hit that little cut with a driver, I always just aim down the left side and I can hit a little bunt cut off the left side and cut it in the fairway and more often than not I've been successful there, so I'm pretty calm when I'm getting up to that tee shot, obviously bearing in mind that it's the first tee shot of the Masters and everyone's watching.
I definitely was a little bit more nervous playing with Tiger last year, but the more comfortable you feel over the ball, the easier it gets. I think it goes from being more nerve-racking to more exciting and that's kind of the -- like, if I can relate it to the Ryder Cup last year, I wasn't as much nervous as I was at Whistling Straits my first year. It was more just turning the nerves into more excitement and I was certainly just more excited last year when I played here. We'll see how it goes this year. But yeah, just try to turn into just something that's exciting and hopefully you get off to a good start.
Q. When you're going through this process and working things out, working out the kinks, is it tough to find the fun, the love, the passion, or is it just grind mode or can you kind of come back to where it all came from during these times?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, sometimes it's like, I would say -- I don't know if that's normal, but I feel like that's how I'm wired a little bit. If I play bad, that almost motivates me more than when I'm playing good because when you're playing good, it's like, okay, I know what I'm doing, I can kind of take tomorrow off or I know that I'm playing good, so I'll just chill for a little bit or whatever. You become more complacent.
I would say as soon as I play bad or I make a couple of mistakes, that almost motivates me more to come back and get better. I would say that's definitely how I've felt the last couple months. The kind of frustrating part is when you're trying to figure things out and you don't necessarily see the progress or you don't know exactly if this is the right road ahead, and that's when you have to think more about the process instead of just kind of shutting that off and just committing to it. But it's just been hard because, like, in my career, I've always been, okay, if this is what I need to work on, if I do it in slow motion, I need to see good results right away because if I don't see the good results right away, then I'm just not going to commit to it.
So it's been hard to commit to something that I believe in, so that's been the frustrating part, but as soon as I see kind of the shots come back and -- my game might not be in the greatest place, but if I see that progress, it's, like, super motivating because then the more I just show up to practice, the better it gets and then the faster I do it, the better it gets, and then I'm closer and closer and closer to where I want to get.
I would say, like, when you have some adversity or you're struggling a little bit, it kind of gives you more purpose in a way to show up and try to figure everything out. So that part's been pretty cool, but I would like to see some results and start playing good again. But, yeah, I would say I'm pretty motivated.
Q. You mentioned having a different approach kind of every year you come here. Why is it hard to replicate that success year to year here and why does it kind of change?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, there's just so many factors here. Obviously, the wind here swirls. You can hit good shots, but the wind might swirl or you might read a situation wrong, and even though there aren't that many -- there's not that much water around the greens or off the tees, but there's a lot of really penal shots around the greens. So you can hit a good shot, but if you misjudge something or it goes a little too far and you're missing it in the wrong spot, that could easily be two shots different.
For example, I just think back to last year. On the last round, I hit a really nice shot into No. 6, but it went too far and it flew over the green and I made double from there. That's a good shot. If I read the wind a little bit better or I hit a little bit shorter, I might have a really good look for a birdie and that could change the whole tournament. So it's just little things like that. I mean, we have obviously seen No. 12 has been dramatic over the years. So there's definitely some factor of luck in there. I think it's also cool that you see the guys with certain course management styles, they usually do pretty well year in and year out. But, yeah, there's just a lot of drama, and when there's a lot of drama you just don't know what's going to happen.
Q. You obviously are pretty intellectual, thoughtful about the golf swing. Curious, do you study it, do you read about it, do you watch videos, is it all feel based in your own thing, how do you kind of go about thinking through it?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I mean, it's been an evolution. I just remember growing up and loving the game of golf and just started getting on YouTube and Googling stuff. I found a couple of guys that I liked, and then I started to learn what they teach, how they teach. Then that leads me to another guy, I start reading his stuff, see how that contradicts with the other guy, or maybe he has a different take on things. So it was definitely a huge process there of just trying to learn as much as possible. I would say kind of what got me really deep into it was I was reading Kelvin Miyahira's articles online when I was like 15 or 16, and he was kind of the first guy that I had seen that started to talk about kind of biomechanics in the golf swing. Before that it was all just like, Oh, swing, swing on the plane, or, Oh, you're in or out or whatever. So I really liked just that level of detail into describing the golf swing, what the actual body parts are doing. And that obviously leads you to a different rabbit hole.
Then now I would say kind of everything is more biomechanics and forces and torques and how that affects the golf club and the golf swing. But not like I'm not trying to spend too much time into reading about that, it's more, Okay, how can I use that information to improve my own golf swing, because that's, at the end of the day, I'm a golfer and trying to help myself, I'm not trying to understand everyone else's golf swings. But I think it's, I think it's neat to have an understanding about that stuff and, yeah, the more information you have, in my opinion, it can only help you.
Q. Based on where your game is right now what would you say the toughest shots are specifically at Augusta this week?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Toughest shots? I think right now with the greens being a little firm you definitely have to be able to hit like higher iron shots and be able to stop it into greens into small sections. Because the thing is, when it's windy out there you kind of want to hit a little lower shot into some of those greens, but if the greens get firm, they're bouncing too far. So it's kind of having the in-between shot where you can still hit it high and spin it and stop it on the green, but they're still flying strong through the wind and into some of those sections.
I just played nine holes, the back nine yesterday and some of the where the pins were at, it was hard to get close. So, obviously that starts a different kind of discussion if it's worth taking on those pins or maybe the course management has to change. There's so many just small details and nuances that you have to kind of prepare and get ready for.
Q. Any specific holes that you know of that you're preparing for?
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Not really. It's just kind of getting the shots down and getting the belief in the skill set, and then I think it's just being smart on some of those holes. Like 12, for example, don't, you don't have to go overly crazy on the back right pins, just hit it middle of the green and make a 3.
15, I think it's a fun one, just how the course management kind of changes a little bit on the certain pins. I think I looked at the stroke average or the score average on 15 for the front pins on the right, how hard or difficult that actually plays, that might make you change your course strategy or course management a little bit. You don't have to lay up very close to the water, you kind of want to stay back, maybe try to spin it, but at the same time you don't want to spin it as much because it can roll back in the water. So there's just a lot of nuance to some of that stuff.
THE MODERATOR: Viktor, thank you for your time this morning and best of luck this week.
VIKTOR HOVLAND: Thank you.
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