Viktor Hovland has never been closer to winning one of golf's four majors than he is heading into the fourth round at the 2022 Open Championship.
Hovland, a fourth-year professional on the PGA Tour, is tied atop the leaderboard with Rory McIlroy at 16 under par after three rounds. He stands to enjoy his highest finish ever in a major Sunday, and he could potentially enjoy a groundbreaking win at the legendary Old Course at St. Andrews.
Hovland thus far has turned in rounds of 4-under 68, 6-under 66 and 6-under 66. If he can match that Sunday — and hold off McIlroy and others — he will have his first Claret Jug in hand.
The Sporting News has everything you need to know about Viktor Hovland, including his PGA Tour history, number of professional wins, best major finishes and more:
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Has Viktor Hovland won the Open Championship?
No, Hovland has never won the Open Championship. He has never won any of golf's four majors, which include the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and Open Championship.
To date, Hovland's best finish at the Open Championship came in 2021, when the event was held at at Royal St. George's in England. He finished tied for 12th with a score of 6-under 274. (Collin Morikawa won with a score of 15-under 265).
Below are Hovland's best finishes at each of golf's majors, including scores to par:
| Tournament | Year | Score (to par) | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masters | 2021 | 288 (even) | T-21 |
| PGA Championship | 2021 | 290 (+2) | T-30 |
| U.S. Open | 2019 | 280 (-4) | T-12 |
| Open Championship | 2021 | 274 (-6) | T-12 |
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How many PGA Tour wins does Viktor Hovland have?
Hovland has six wins as a professional, including three on the PGA Tour: the 2020 Puerto Rico Open (20-under 268); the 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic (20-under 264); and the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship (23-under 261).
With his win in the 2020 Puerto Rico Open, Hovland become the first Norwegian golfer to win on the PGA Tour. He also made history as the first Norwegian to win on the European Tour when he won the 2021 BMW International Open (19-under 269).
Where did Viktor Hovland go to college?
Hovland attended Oklahoma State from 2016-19. One of his teammates on the golf team was future PGA Tour golfer Matthew Wolff. Per his Cowboys bio, he finished tied for eighth in the men's individual competition at the NCAA championship and earned All-Freshman Team honors from the Golf Coaches Association of America in 2017.
The following year, Hovland was a first-team All-America selection by the GCAA. He finished tied for 11th in the men's individual NCAA competition and helped Oklahoma State defeat Alabama for the team national championship.
In 2018-19, Hovland earned the Ben Hogan Award as the top college golfer in the U.S. Hovland also won the U.S. Amateur in 2018, earning him exemptions to the 2019 Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship.
That season, he was the low amateur at both the Masters and U.S. Open, becoming the first golfer since Matt Kuchar in 1998 to earn that honor in the same season. He also carded the lowest 72-hole score by an amateur in the U.S. Open that year, turning in a 4-under 280 to break Jack Nicklaus' previous record of 2-under 282 set in 1960.
He turned professional following the 2019 U.S. Open, voiding his automatic entry into the Open Championship that year.
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Where does Viktor Hovland live?
According to Golf Digest, Hovland has elected to live in Stillwater, Okla., and still practices with Oklahoma State golfers on the team's home course, Karsten Creek.
Hovland was born in Oslo, Norway.
Does Viktor Hovland play for LIV Golf?
Hovland is not on the LIV Golf Invitational Series roster and, according to reports, does not intend to join the breakout circuit.
"I have no plans to play the LIV series," Hovland reportedly told the Norwegian Golf Association in June when asked about potentially joining.
