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Viktor Hovland (Norway). He is the hottest player right now. On the 20th, he claimed the top spot at the BMW Championship, the second event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs (PO) for the 2022/2023 PGA Tour season, held at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois, USA. This was his second win of the season and fifth career victory, coming two months after the Memorial Tournament in June. The winner's prize was $3.6 million (approximately 4.8 billion KRW). Rory McIlroy, a symbol of the PGA, praised Hovland, saying, "Watching his play is fascinating," and called him "a player at the peak of his abilities."

Hovland was born on September 18, 1997, in Oslo, Norway. Since his birthday has not yet passed, he is a 25-year-old 'young gun.' He learned golf at age 11 from his father, Harald, who is an engineer. He is also well-known among domestic fans as a Taekwondo black belt. After seven years of training as a child, he earned his black belt. He said, "Taekwondo helped strengthen my mental toughness."

World No. 5 Viktor Hovland is a talent who can rewrite the history of men's golf.

Hovland lived in Oslo until high school. Winters there are long, with harsh cold and heavy snowfall. Golf is only playable for about five months, from May to October. He mainly honed his skills at indoor practice facilities. He learned English by watching American historical dramas like 'Lincoln' and 'Amistad.' He is also interested in soccer and enjoys metal bands such as Metallica, Tool, and System of a Down.

Hovland showed promise early on, winning the Norwegian Amateur Championship in 2014. He enrolled at Oklahoma State University in 2016 and rose as a next-generation prospect after winning the 2018 US Amateur Championship. In 2019, he received invitations to the Masters, US Open, and The Open. At the Masters, he finished tied for 32nd, the best among amateurs, marking the time he became the number one amateur.

At the 2019 US Open, Hovland set a new amateur scoring record with 4-under-par 280, breaking a 59-year-old record. He surpassed the 282 strokes set by the 'living legend' Jack Nicklaus (USA). He became the fourth player since Matt Kuchar (USA) in 1998 to finish as the top amateur at both the Masters and US Open in the same year. He currently resides in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He is still single. His girlfriend is Kristin Sordal, also from Norway.

He turned professional in 2019. From the start, his star power was recognized, with sponsors such as Ping Golf, Audemars Piguet, and Lindberg supporting him. He made a strong impression on both the American and European stages in a short time. After playing on the Korn Ferry (second-tier) Tour, he won the Puerto Rico Open in February 2020 at age 22 years and 158 days, becoming the first Norwegian PGA champion. He became the fourth player ever to win both the US Amateur Championship and a PGA Tour event before turning 23. He was the only rookie to collect a victory trophy and competed in the Tour Championship.

Viktor Hovland (right) has grown into a "top star" to the extent that he will play alongside the "Golf Emperor" Tiger Woods at this year's Masters.

In 2021, Hovland won the DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) BMW International Open, becoming the first Norwegian champion on the European stage. He also earned the title of 'Norway's first Rolex Series champion' at the Dubai Desert Classic, a prestigious DP World Tour event. Last December, he successfully defended his title at the Hero World Challenge, a special event hosted by 'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA). He has earned tremendous income in his mid-20s. This year alone, his PGA Tour earnings amount to $14,112,235 (approximately 18.9 billion KRW).

Hovland stands 178 cm tall and weighs 75 kg, combining distance and accuracy. This year, he averaged 307.3 yards with a maximum drive of 408 yards. His fairway hit rate is 63.41%, and his greens in regulation rate is 67.59%. His previously noted weakness in green play has improved. He averages 1.72 putts per hole. His ability to get the ball out of the rough has been upgraded, so he rarely falters even on difficult courses. He is a player who does not stop at one spot and has a strong spirit of challenge. He said, "I came to the US because I wanted to prove my skills in a wider world."

Hovland uses a combination of various weapons. His driver is a Ping G425 LST (9 degrees), fairway wood is a TaylorMade Stealth Plus (15 degrees), and irons are Titleist U505 (3-iron) and Ping i210 (#4 iron to PW). His wedges are Ping Glide 4.0 (50, 56 degrees) and Glide 2.0 (60 degrees). His putter is a Ping PLD DS 72 prototype, and he uses Titleist Pro V1 golf balls.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.