PGA Tour’s new CEO, Brian Rolapp, was quick to act when Brooks Koepka asked to be reinstated to the PGA Tour. There were new guidelines in place, and within a month, the former LIV pro made his PGA Tour comeback at the Farmers Insurance Open. While that ruffled some pros the wrong way, Viktor Hovland hailed Rolapp’s quick decision-making with a sharp jab at former commissioner Jay Monahan.

“At least it does seem like there’s leadership now and there’s (sic!) decisions that are being made a bit quicker instead of dragging things out. It seems like he (Brian Rolapp) at least has a vision for the PGA Tour. I don’t know how long it was, but Jay [Monahan] didn’t really address the media there for many, many months, and I think that’s probably not the best look for a commissioner,” said Hovland, while in a conversation with Today’s Golfer. 

It was last June that Brian Rolapp became the CEO of the PGA Tour after having spent twenty-two years with the NFL. The 53-year-old executive has been forthright about his plans, boldly claiming he will honor the tradition but will not be bound by it. Clear evidence was Koepka’s reinstatement.

PGA Tour announced the Returning Members Program, throwing open the doors to Koepka, along with Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith. The entire process took less than a month, something that was unthinkable in the previous era, per Hovland. This is not the first time the Norwegian pro has blasted Jay Monahan and the Tour’s previous administration.

“As a leader of an organization, I will want a person like that to take some ownership and say, hey, we made a couple of mistakes, but this is how we’re going to rectify it, instead of kind of sweeping it under the rug, which I felt like has been done to a certain degree,” said the seven-time PGA Tour winner from The Players Championship in 2024.

Before that, in December 2023, when Rahm jumped ship to LIV Golf, Hovland said it was pointless to criticize the players who left. Especially when the PGA Tour leadership under Jay Monahan mishandled the situation. Hovland wasn’t the only one to question the former commissioner. Xander Schauffele claimed Monahan lost his trust and confidence altogether.

In sharp contrast, Brian Rolapp, who was instrumental in shaping the NFL’s media strategies, has earned players’ backing quite early. Scottie Scheffler, the current World No. 1, said Rolapp is the kind of guy who gets things done. Jordan Spieth praised the 53-year-old executive’s vision for the PGA Tour, and Rory McIlroy believed Rolapp was the right man for turning the PGA Tour into a bigger and better organization.

Viktor Hovland’s comments highlight that contrast. When Jay Monahan announced a framework agreement with PIF, the Saudi Sovereign Fund that bankrolls LIV Golf, players learned about it like everyone else. There was no prior notice, and the pros were equally shocked when Monahan announced the decision on live TV.

The fallout from this incident was serious enough for Jay Monahan to take a sabbatical to deal with the mental stress. The framework agreement missed its deadline more than once and was eventually dropped altogether. So, when Rolapp walked in, he had to quickly clear a lot of mess. Viktor Hovland likes the proactiveness of the new boss.

However, the 2023 TOUR Championship winner refused to dwell on the administrative matter further, instead switching the conversation to his game. 

Viktor Hovland admitted swing felt “manufactured” despite strong early-season form

Hovland entered the 2025 season seeking consistency after a period of swing changes. However, that struggle continued until he finally found the solution mid-season. Finishing the 2025 calendar year ranked 14th in the Official World Golf Ranking, he entered 2026 with strong momentum.

Hovland began the season with the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, where he carded a bogey-free 65, and ended at T14 with 5-under. Coming to the PGA Tour, the 28-year-old has netted three top-tens this season from five starts. At the recently concluded Players Championship, the Norwegian International finished at T13.

The seven-time PGA Tour winner was spotted trying multiple different things to improve his swing. First, he was trying floaties around his arms and then using an elastic rubber band around his body.

Speaking on his knack for tinkering with things, Hovland explained, “I’ve almost been addicted to changing a little too much because I’m always looking for the next thing that’s going to be a little bit better and in that process you might make some mistakes as well. But without that mindset I don’t think I would have been here today.”

However, he further added that he would really prefer to be able to be on the tee box and “swing hard” while having the faith that his ball would follow a straight trajectory. Viktor Hovland is slated to tee off at the Valspar Championship this week. He’ll tee off with Brooks Koepka and Corey Conners at 8:13 AM ET from the first tee.