Viktor Hovland Thinks Current State Of Golf Is 'Sad' And 'Soulless,' Which Is More Than Fair

Viktor Hovland won three times on the PGA Tour 2023 en route to winning the FedEx Cup, earned North of $30 million along the way, helped lead Europe to a dominant win over the U.S. in the Ryder Cup, and jumped to No. 3 in Official World Golf Ranking.

In other words, golf has been mighty kind to the young Norwegian, but that doesn't mean he loves where the game is today.

With the emergence of LIV Golf, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), and the Tour's recently struck deal with the Strategic Sports Group, money has felt like the only thing that matters in today's game. While Hovland appreciates the number of commas in his bank account these days, he's not the type of player who's top priority each week is the paycheck up for grabs.

Hovland joked back in 2022 - with three wins already under his belt - that he could finally order guacamole at Chipotle and not feel guilty about the extra charge hitting his credit card, just to put into perspective that racking up millions isn't the only thing on his mind.

Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Viktor Hovland Just Wants Some Normalcy

To put it plainly, Hovland is a laid-back, incredibly low-maintenance guy so it shouldn't come as a surprise that he doesn't enjoy the greed and constant oneupsmanship going on in professional golf. He thinks the game is soulless at the moment.

"Obviously, LIV is bringing in a lot of money to the sport and there’s a lot of competition which I think is good," Hovland said, "But it seems to have been a response from the PGA Tour’s side – it’s just more talk about the money and I think that’s a little bit sad," Hovland said on the ‘Son of a Butch’ podcast.

"Now money is important, and everyone needs to get paid accordingly and in a fair way, but I don’t think that needs to be the driving force behind this or the story every single week.

"Not to dog on a tournament here or there, you could put the purse of the John Deere (Classic) to $6 million for first place, but I’d much rather win a Memorial or a tournament like that (because of the history and prestige).

"You’re going to have those memories of winning that event, seeing your name on that trophy – that’s pretty cool. Obviously, the paycheck is pretty nice as well, but if that’s what you’re remembering by the end of the week, that feels a little bit soulless, in my opinion."

READ: PGA Tour Only Views Six LIV Players As 'Desirable' Targets For A Potential Return

We're amid year three of there being a gargantuan divide in the game of golf. The division has awarded players to earn more money than ever before, but also ripped a part of the soul from the professional game. Instead of players making history by finding the winner's circle, most headlines equate any win to the historic payday that comes with it before mentioning anything else.

Golf is in this bizarre spot where the sports has never been talked about more, but the majority of the discussions taking place are from a negative perspective.

Hovland has only made three starts on the PGA Tour in 2024. It's unknown as to why he's been slower out of the gates in the new year, but after his recent comments, it's fair to say he's not exactly motivated to jump back in the mud until he feels ready to do so.