Viktor Hovland has long worked to fix his downswing, trying different training aids with little lasting success. When frustration set in, he took an unusual break—heading out to chase UFOs. The European Ryder Cup team recently sat down for a chat, but one question seemed to crack up Hovland.

“What’s the weirdest thing that Viktor Hovland has ever spoken to you about?” Just like his buddy, Ludvig Aberg, had previously done, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Matt Fitzpatrick, and others chime in with the same answer: “UFOs.” UFOs. Hovland loves talking about them, plus “conspiracy,” if Tyrrell Hatton might add.

But it’s McIlroy’s story that stuck with us. “Told this one story when he went to chase UFOs in Northern Norway. He drove six hours from home to go and see this thing.” But when they went to check if it actually was a UFO, it ended up being “rocks and gravel,” McIlroy adds. Well, Hovland says he is obsessed with these things because when it comes to the UFOs and the government, he does “not trust what they [government] have to say.” Pretty relatable.

This isn’t the first time Hovland has opened up about his fascination. Back in 2024, he said, “It’s like, what is the deal with all the aliens? There seem to be some pilots and commanders who explain what they saw and have video footage of it, so it’s like, ‘Huh, what is that?’ I find the reluctance to talk about that stuff fascinating.”

The more you get into it, the more questions you have. The more questions you have, the more obsessed you are with it. And that’s how Hovland’s obsession with UFOs works and may start for Aberg. In fact, on Thursday, Aberg admitted, “I’m not quite down that road just yet [obsession with UFOs]. If I hang out with him long enough, I might be.”

He is pretty much the same as Bryson DeChambeau in that regard, by the way. Back in 2021, DeChambeau talked about seeing a UFO and unexplained aerial phenomena (UAPs). During the pandemic, he saw “three little silver metallic discs” in the distance. He added, “We were out there for literally just under an hour thinking, ‘What the heck is this?’” After watching them float, his family and he briefly went inside, only for the “discs” to disappear within five minutes.

Even Phil Mickelson once shared a bizarre story about the UFOs and claimed in an interview, “everybody saw them.” So, now you can expect that they are just as obsessed with it as Hovland is. Interestingly, however, Hovland had a similar relaxed attitude when asked about facing New Yorkers at Bethpage this week.

Viktor Hovland makes a dark joke at the expense of New York fans

Viktor Hovland confessed on Wednesday that he’s determined to brush off rude fan behavior at Bethpage. And to express the same thought process, he shared a pretty dark joke. “They won’t really come close to the thoughts I have in my own head so I think I’ll just laugh it off for the most part,” he told Patrick McDonald of CBS Sports.

In 2023, Hovland and his playing partner Ludvig Åberg made history with a record-setting 9-and-7 foursomes victory over the Americans. While the Americans won in 2021, the Europeans took the trophy in 2023. On the other hand, Hovland’s recent form has seen him win only one championship this year – the 2025 Valspar Championship in March.

But Hovland’s way might just work in his favor. Fan behavior has been a recurring issue in the tournament’s history, especially when it’s hosted in the United States. In the past, fans have crossed the line, such as shouting “slit his throat” at Matt Fitzpatrick in 2021. In fact, Fitzpatrick recently revealed that his parents won’t attend due to concerns over fan behavior.

So, maybe Hovland and his dark humor may help him survive the heat New Yorkers are set to bring this week.