Is Viktor Hovland Joining LIV Golf? 3x PGA Tour Winner Unhappy With ‘Being Essentially Forced’ Without Freedom

A Norwegian professional golfer, Viktor Hovland, wanted a different schedule than the tight schedule of the PGA for the 2023 season. The PGA tour announced changes earlier this year due to the existence of LIV. As more and more players left PGA to join the Saudi-backed circuit, Jay Mohanan started looking at LIV as a threat, and therefore, he announced enhancements. 

The changes in the PGA tour also include an increment in the number of events that a golfer has to play annually. Even top players committed to playing 20+ events. However, Monahan also introduced other perks and benefits, along with increased purse for PIP. Even though the financial benefits increased, some golfers, including Hovland, seem unhappy.

How does Viktor Hovland feel about the changes in PGA tour schedules?

The Norwegian golfer accepted that it would be hard to fulfill his duties to compete in all the prestigious events during the 2023 season. Next season is a Ryder Cup year; in addition to the tour’s events, he made remarks before the Hero World Challenge. Hovland understands the idea of improving the PGA Tour’s product. However, he doesn’t want to be compelled to compete in up to 25 events annually. He wants to have freedom. He appreciated LIV for that freedom. However, there is no news of him joining the Saudi-backed circuit.

Read more- ‘Don’t Think It Was a Bad Year for Golf’: PGA Loyalist Jon Rahm Believes Players Should Be ‘Thankful’ for the Arrival of LIV Golf

The pro wants to be part of the event but wants the freedom to make his choices; he disapproves of playing all the events as a necessity. According to him, even for playing the Ryder Cup, LIV golfers have to play certain events. He believes that the approach was better than PGA’s schedule. To play a few events as an eligibility to be part of the Ryder Cup. “Now, I might do that in a certain year, but I think being essentially forced to do so is not how I would like to have my career look in the future,” said Hovland.

The comments of Hovland came after the recent statement by Jon Rahm. He supported his old friend Phil Mickelson by saying that PGA golfers should be thankful for LIV. Because if LIV did not exist, the perks introduced by PGA, along with an increased purse, would have never happened. However, the winner of the 2018 U.S. Amateur denied commenting on whether LIV players should get to play at Ryder.

What are the plans for PGA?

After the statement by the pro golfer Rahm, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy called an emergency LIV meeting. Woods and McIlroy have been the biggest supporter of the PGA. However, all the golfers from the meeting have denied revealing any information about it. But the tour star, Justin Thomas, shared his beliefs. According to him, former number one, Woods, and current number one, McIlroy, are doing something solid to ensure a more robust American circuit in the long term. 

Watch this story – Golf World Fumes Over Latest Phil Mickelson Post on Liv Golf

What are your thoughts about the PGA schedule for 2023? Do you think they forced it on golfers?