It’s the time of the year for giving but Viktor Hovland has been giving out at the PGA Tour’s leadership declaring it has shown’ ‘arrogance’ and also ‘done such a poor job” in Jon Rahm signing with LIV Golf.
Hovland’s the current World No. 4 along with a three-time winner on this year’s PGA Tour, and he’s also denied rumours he will be joining the reigning Masters champ on the rival Tour.
“It’s a bit too stupid to criticise the players for leaving”, he responded on Rahm’s departure speaking in his native Norwegian tongue with Discovery’s FORE! podcast , and then with his comments translated to English.
HOVLAND DOESN’ T HOLD BACK …
Viktor Hovland @TrackingHovland using this ‘time of year for giving’, giving out @PGATOUR afer Rahm signs @livgolf_league
“They (PGAT) almost see the players as labour, and not as part of the members”.
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— Golf & Science News (@TOURMISS) December 18, 2023
“The thing is you only get to hear one angle in the media, and there are quite a few different parts happening at the same time here.
“It would be a bit silly to criticize the players for leaving, and after all, you only hear one angle in the media, and there are quite a few different parts happening at the same time here.
“I totally understand why he (Rahm) left. That’s a lot, a lot of money. And at least when the management of the PGA Tour has done such a bad job.
“Just to be clear, I’m not complaining about the position I’m in, and I’m very grateful for everything. But the management has not done a good job. They almost see the players as labour, and not as part of the members. After all, we are the PGA Tour. Without the players, there is nothing.
“When you get to see what happens behind closed doors, how the management actually makes decisions, which are not in the players’ best interest, but best for themselves and what they think is best … they are businessmen who say that, ‘No, it should look like this and that.’ There is a great deal of arrogance behind it all.”
Hovland also used the podcast to express his views on the opening three events he will play on the 2024 PGA Tour season schedule, and each being the new ‘Signature’ no-cut tournaments, and a format he clearly does not agree.
Those events include next month’s The Sentry and February’s AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational
“You need the competition with 150 players and a cut,” he said.
“If you don’t play well enough, you’re out. There is something about it that makes your game a little sharper. If I had gone to LIV, I don’t think I would have become a better golfer?”
