The loss of some great talents to LIV Golf in the past couple of months has given the PGA Tour and the Tour’s fans a fair share of trust issues. And rightfully so. After all, losing Jon Rahm was a tough blow to the fans, but then losing Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk was just like someone adding salt to pretty open wounds. With the list of golfers defecting to the other side elongating and rumors about more pros moving shops, trust issues are only heightening.

Viktor Hovland’s name has topped the list of suspicions for a long time now, along with other names such as Wyndham Clark. Despite Victor Hovland’s saying, “I doubt that” on the matter of his move to LIV Golf, a focused study of the Norwegian golfer’s past few months’ decisions and words would indicate that the 26-year-old might have already signed with LIV Golf.

3. Hovland’s critique of LIV Golf gives people a feeling of déjà vu

The Norwegian professional golfer, when asked about his opinions on LIV Golf, pointed out that he does not find the league’s product “that great.” He also pointed out that the lack of a cut was an impediment to his growth as a golfer.

His exact words were, “I don’t think their product is that great. I’m not such a fan of, for example, playing without a cut. You need the competition with 150 players and a cut… If I had gone to LIV, I don’t think I would have become a better golfer. And then it is, in a way, the end of the discussion.”

However, despite the Norwegian’s critique of LIV Golf, his words have given fans a déjà vu of the times when many other golfers picked LIV Golf apart before actually making the move to it.

Be it Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, or even Jon Rahm; all of them initially denied rumors of moving to LIV but then made the decision, anyway.

2. The 6x PGAT winner’s remarks against the Tour

Very recently, Hovland has also given a strong statement about the current functioning of the PGA Tour, indicating that he is no longer a fan of the Tour’s way of handling matters.

The PGAT star’s disappointment with the Tour was apparent when his “we need transparency” demand went viral. This also gave the golf world reason enough to think that his current opinions of the Tour might act as a reinforcer in his decision in favor of LIV Golf, indicating that he can eventually adjust to the format of the rival league as Rahm did.

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1. Viktor Hovland’s withdrawal from the WM Phoenix Open

The 2023 Fed Ex Championship winner’s withdrawal from the WM Phoenix Open is indicative of a pattern followed by recent defectors like Adrian Meronk. The German golfer withdrew from Farmers Insurance citing injury reasons, and then the news about his move to Clarks GC went viral. The speculations of the Norwegian star defecting to LIV after sudden withdrawal come from the place of recent patterns.

However, if reports are to be believed, Hovland has taken a break to practice so that he can come back stronger to compete in the Genesis Invitational. All in all, all these ongoing choices undertaken by the golfer do not point in the direction of him staying with the PGA Tour. Only time can tell if he chooses to switch up.

What are your thoughts about it? Do you think Viktor Hovland has already jumped ships?

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