Latest news with #ViktorHovland
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The Open Championship star who's won £26million speaks out about how he spends his money
Viktor Hovland's challenge for a first major victory at The Open certainly isn't financially motivated, as evidenced by his flashiest purchases, which had the Royal Portrush crowd chuckling Viktor Hovland showed his down-to-earth nature as he explained how he spends his golf earnings. The world No. 11 is yet to win a major, a surprising record which he's attempting to rectify at The Open this week. But Hovland, 27, has still reaped the financial rewards since turning pro in 2019. He's banked £26,544,888 ($35,674,298) from the PGA Tour alone, placing him 47th on their all-time money list. While it could be easy to let that sum go to his head, the Norwegian doesn't splash the cash on extravagant purchases. In fact, he had the crowd at Royal Portrush chuckling as he named some of his biggest buys on stage for The R&A's Caddie Conversations. Asked to reveal his first significant purchase after a win, Hovland replied: "I haven't spent that much money on just fun things. Like a couple of weeks ago, for example, I was on a boys' trip in Marbella, so I can try to spend money on things that are fun, like activities. "But in terms of things, there's not that many things to buy. I bought a nice grill to grill some steak. And I bought a Ninja blender, it cuts it up pretty nicely. So just things like that." While many of his counterparts have jumped ship to LIV Golf to cash in on the Saudi riches on offer there, Hovland isn't motivated by money. After winning the FedEx Cup in 2023, which came with a staggering £14.4m ($18m) pay cheque that's on top of his PGA winnings, he insisted he'd be perfectly happy with just enough to live a comfortable life. "Obviously, it's a lot of cash you're playing for. I mean, it's in the back of your mind," he admitted. "But I live in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Money goes long ways there. It's not like I'm spending money out the wazoo every week. "I don't need a lot to be happy. I don't need a lot to live within my means. So obviously it's nice for my family to have that protection and my, you know, eventual kids, that I'll have in the future. "It's nice to have that, but it's not something that drives me, it's not something that gives me meaning. I find meaning in other places. But obviously with how society works, money is something you need." Hovland's total career earnings are closer to the £50m mark, and winning The Open would secure him another £2.3m. But more important for him would be getting the proverbial monkey off his back by ending his wait for a major. He's secured top 10 finishes in all four of golf's top tournaments, coming closest to victory at the 2023 PGA Championship when he finished two shots behind winner Brooks Koepka in a tie for second with Scottie Scheffler. He ended an 18-month winless run at the Valspar Championship in March. But he found himself down the leaderboard at Portrush after an opening round of two over par, despite an eagle at the second.
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Open superstars slam 'brutal' slow play amid miserable Portrush conditions
Tired heroes not impressed with the length of time in the links Shattered Viktor Hovland called slow Open play brutal as LIV star Marc Leishman reckons he felt he on course for about 12 hours. Day one of The 153rd Championship was a slog with rounds taking forever in the wind and rain. Hovland came off as the gloom had descended on the Dunluce Links and the Norwegian wasn't shy in his assessment of the painful situation. The Ryder Cup star said: 'It was really slow, I think almost six hours, just under six hours. That's brutal, especially when you have to focus for so long. It's not easy. Wind picked up there in the afternoon. Yeah, it takes a lot out of you.' Worn-out Leishman also didn't hide his irritation with Open rounds in a sharp comparison with LIV Golf. The Australian star and his rivals endured an arduous day and he says it felt as if he was on the course forever compared to the rapid-fire nature of the shotgun starts on his regular Tour. Leishman said: 'I think I got up about 8am, watched an hour [on TV]. It felt like we were on the course for about 12 hours. 'We've been on the course for three hours through eight holes. That was tough to deal with, especially coming from somewhere where we play in under four-and-a-half [hours] every week. 'You got to deal with all that sort of stuff and I felt like I dealt with it decently well. I just got a little frustrated there.' Justin Thomas was another late finisher who didn't appreciate the scenario much as he said: 'It seemed really slow. The back nine's so tough with all the cross-winds. It's really, really hard to hit fairways. "Then when you miss the fairway, it's hard to hit the green. It's a grind, so everyone's going through it. 'It's a lot of people in a golf tournament and that's going to create. I mean, a city that has a lot more population, traffic is going to be a lot worse than it is in Pikeville, Kentucky, that's just the way it is. "Then you add the elements and add everything, it's just going to be a long day.' Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
2025 The Open Championship: Chris 'The Bear' Fallica's Expert Picks, Best Bets
"Bear Bets" are real wagers that Chris "The Bear" Fallica is actually making. The 153rd Open Championship tees off this week from Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, and I've got a few wagers I'm making before the tournament gets underway. Let's dive into what I'm eyeing at the moment. Outright and Top Finish Markets Viktor Hovland outright winner, Top 10, Top 20 This has long felt to me like the major Hovland was most likely to win. The greens at The Open are not as slick as the ones Hovland faces in the U.S. Open or Masters and that's huge for him, since that's the weakest part of his game. Coming off a third-place finish at Oakmont where he very easily could have won, it seems like he's built up a bit of battle scars and is close to breaking through. Remember, he was the 54-hole leader at The Open in 2022 and had a couple of other top-15 finishes in the last few years. If you're looking for someone other than Scottie, Rory or Rahm, he's a great place to land. PICKS: Viktor Hovland (+3000) to win outrightViktor Hovland (+280) Top-10 finishViktor Hovland (+130) Top-20 finish Sepp Straka Top 20, Top 30 Surprisingly, Straka has missed all three cuts in majors this year, but this seems to be the one he's played best in lately, finishing T-22 last year and T-2 in 2023 behind Brian Harman. His top-10 in Scotland last week should have him ready for a good effort this week. PICKS:Sepp Straka (+150) Top-20 finishSepp Straka (+105) Top-30 finish Matt Fitzpatrick Top 20, Top 30 Maybe it's been the change on the bag, but whatever it is has resulted in Fitzpatrick playing his best golf since winning the U.S. Open. He hasn't missed a cut in an individual event since before the Masters, which is also his last finish outside the top 40. Sure, nobody is going to confuse the tracks at the Travelers or Rocket Classic (where he posted top-20s) for major-level courses, but that T-4 last week at the Renaissance sure has a lot of people excited over his chances this week. PICKS: Matt Fitzpatrick (+150) Top-20 finishMatt Fitzpatrick (+120) Top-30 finish Padraig Harrington top 30 Harrington has made the cut in each of the last two years at The Open. He finished T-22 last year and in 2022, he actually opened with a 69 before shooting 78 in the second round. At a course he's familiar with, and with bad weather looming, I wouldn't be surprised if he's playing the weekend and posting a fringe finish. PICK: Padraig Harrington (+285) Top-30 finish Cam Young Top 20, Top 30 Everyone's favorite non-winner posted another top-5 finish at a major last month at Oakmont — that's three now and six top-10s all told. Two have come at The Open, so he clearly isn't affected by the conditions. I'll back him again to play well in a major here. PICKS:Cam Young (+260) Top-20 finishCam Young (+165) Top-30 finish Chris Gotterup Top 20, Top 30 We should have seen the win coming at some point. Actually, here's a funny story: I bet Gotterup to win the John Deere the previous week, so I was a week early. In his last 10 tourneys, he's missed one cut (Canada) and has five top-20s, with his worst finish in the other four tourneys he made the cut being 28th. I think he's mispriced in the derivative markets, including Make/Miss Cut and I'd be surprised if he didn't play well this week. Remember, he played very well at Oakmont, posting two sub-70 rounds and finishing 23rd. PICKS: Chris Gotterup (+250) Top-20 finishChris Gotterup (+140) Top-30 finish Matchups Padraig Harrington vs. Phil Mickelson Mickelson has missed all three cuts in majors this year and seven of 10 since the runner-up finish out of nowhere in the 2023 Masters. He hasn't even shot even par in a major championship round since the opening round of the 2023 U.S. Open. That's 21 straight rounds over par. PICK: Padraig Harrington (-125) vs. Phil Mickelson Chris Gotterup vs. Ben Griffin Griffin's red-hot run came to an end with a missed cut at the John Deere, but maybe the little break will treat him well. He's posted top-10s in both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship but now faces a different challenge at Portrush. In his two Open appearances, he's missed the cut both times and went 79-74 last year. PICK: Chris Gotterup (+105) vs. Ben Griffin Viktor Hovland vs. Collin Morikawa Something just seems off with Morikawa this year. His play around and on the green has been poor, and after a second round 76 and MC last week, I'm not sure I want to back him here. He's missed the cut two of the last three years here since winning the Claret Jug in 2021. PICK: Viktor Hovland (-115) vs. Collin Morikawa Make/Miss Cut Dustin Johnson to miss cut DJ has missed all three cuts in majors this year and six of the last eight, dating back to 2023. None of his six rounds have even been even par. He seems content financially on the LIV Tour, and while he did make the cut last year win the Open, I don't see many signs he's going to thrive this week. PICK: Dustin Johnson (-110) to miss cut Hideki Matsuyama to miss cut I'm willing to take the big number here on a miss with Hideki, as he missed the cut at the PGA, made the cut on the number at Oakmont and has been off since the Rocket Classic. He's had some lingering injuries this year and struggled off the tee and with his second shot as a result. The conditions at Portrush do not appear to be the spot those issues get remedied. PICK: Hideki Matsuyama (+174) to miss cut Justin Thomas to miss cut Speaking of struggling off the tee, enter JT who has never been a good player here. Only once has he finished in the top 30 in the Open and missed the cut in three of his eight trips. Last year was a wild ride as he went 68-78-67-77. He shot 82 in the 2023 opening round as well. Buckle up. Some big numbers are possible here. PICK: Justin Thomas (+200) to miss cut Aldrich Potgieter to miss cut I wonder if there's a physical issue here with Potgieter as he W/D from the John Deere and then missed the cut at the Scottish Open. He had a great two-week stretch, winning the Rocket Classic and finishing sixth at the Schwab, but he's missed ten cuts in 16 events, including eight of the last 12 since his runner-up in Mexico. PICK: Aldrich Potgieter (-116) to miss cut Sungjae Im to miss cut Im is in terrible form right now, entering off consecutive missed cuts, a T-61 finish at the Travelers and a T-57 at the U.S. Open. His last top 10 came at the Masters, and in between he's missed cuts at the PGA and Canadian Open as well. Out of nowhere, he did finish T-7 last year at the Open with a 66-69 weekend, but he's 158th on TOUR Tee-to-green and 161st in GIR. His putting edge is muted on the Open greens. PICK: Sungjae Im (+120) to miss cut Henrik Stenson to miss cut The 2018 Champion Golfer of the Year has missed the cut three of the last four years here and is nowhere near the level of player he once was. PICK: Henrik Stenson (-164) to miss cut Phil Mickelson to miss cut As mentioned above, Mickelson has missed all three cuts in majors this year and seven of 10 since the runner-up finish out of nowhere in the 2023 Masters. He hasn't even shot even par in a major championship round since the opening round of the 2023 U.S. Open. That's 21 straight rounds over par. PICK: Phil Mickelson (-166) to miss cut Tony Finau to miss cut Finau missed The Open cut in each of the last two years and missed in Augusta this year. He appeared headed for that at Oakmont as well, but a late clutch putt in Round 2 allowed him to make it on the number. PICK: Tony Finau (+125) to miss cut Collin Morikawa to miss cut As mentioned earlier, he's missed the cut two of the last three years here and he just hasn't looked fully locked in this year. PICK: Collin Morikawa (+275) to miss cut Cam Smith to miss cut The 2022 champ has four rounds of 75 or worse in his last eight major rounds, meaning he's missed the cut in four straight majors. I can see him taking the scenic way around the course this week. PICK: Cam Smith (+115) to miss cut Ludvig Aberg to miss cut We all think Aberg is headed for great things, but his major career outside of Augusta is pretty spotty right now. He's got a runner-up and a seventh-place finish in the Masters, but in his other five slams, he's missed the cut four times, including last year at the Open when he went 75-76. For those willing to take an optimistic approach, he did finish T-8 in Scotland last week. PICK: Ludvig Aberg (+245) to miss cut Russell Henley to miss cut Henley has put together a really solid season. He won at Bay Hill and has seven other top 10 finishes. Oddly, he failed to play the weekend at both Augusta and Quail Hollow. He's gotten some buzz this week after a T-5 last year at the Open, but his Open record prior to that was really subpar. It included five missed cuts, one top 20 in nine events. PICK: Russell Henley (+220) to miss cut Jon Rahm to miss cut Rahm has gotten off to a shaky start in the last few Opens but has played brilliantly the rest of the way to go T-7, T-2, T-34, T-3 in the Open. He's been widely touted to win this week, but isn't there a small part of you that can see him just miserable if he catches the worst of the weather, which right now is slated to be Thursday afternoon and Friday AM? PICK: Jon Rahm (+475) to miss cut Chris "The Bear" Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with an "occasional" wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He's a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, "The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!" Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Viktor Hovland Reveals Shocking Use of Millions From Golf Success
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Viktor Hovland has earned more than $35 million from his results as a professional golfer. Just over five years into his career, the Norwegian is already ranked 36th on the PGA Tour's all-time money list. With such wealth at his disposal, it's easy to imagine a life of absolute luxury. However, that's far from Hovland's reality. The seven-time PGA Tour winner addressed the issue during an interview for the Caddie Conversations show on the R&A's YouTube channel. In his words, his spending is more geared toward experiences than material things. "I haven't spent that much money on just, like, you know, fun things," he said during his 2023 winner's press conference. "Like a couple weeks ago, for example, I was on a boys trip in Marbella. So, like, we try to spend money on things that are fun, like activities, but in terms of things, there's not that many things to buy." "Like, I bought a grill, a nice grill to grill some steak. And I bought a blender. It's like a Ninja. It's a Ninja blender. Oh, it it cuts it up pretty nicely." What has Viktor Hovland done with the millions he's earned playing golf? Bought a grill, a nice blender and a few buddies trips. 🤣 — (@GOLF_com) July 16, 2025 Hovland: "I Don't Need a Lot to be Happy" This isn't the first time Hovland has spoken in these terms about the money earned from his golf results. After winning the FedEx Cup title in 2023, the Norwegian asserted that money isn't what drives him. "Obviously it's a lot of cash you're playing for. I mean, it's in the back of your mind," he said. "But I live in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Money goes long ways there. It's not like I'm spending money out the wazoo every week. I don't need a lot to be happy. I don't need a lot to live within my means." "So obviously it's nice for my family to have that protection and my, you know, eventual kids, that I'll have in the future. It's nice to have that, but it's not something that drives me, it's not something that gives me meaning. I find meaning in other places. But obviously with how society works, money is something you need." Viktor Hovland of Norway laughs while waiting to play the seventh hole during the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2025 at Pebble Beach Golf Links on January 31, 2025 in Pebble Beach,... Viktor Hovland of Norway laughs while waiting to play the seventh hole during the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2025 at Pebble Beach Golf Links on January 31, 2025 in Pebble Beach, California. MoreWith his FedEx Cup title, Hovland received an $18 million bonus that doesn't count toward his career PGA Tour earnings. This brings his total earnings for 2023 to more than $32 million, and more than $50 million earned since beginning his professional career in 2019. More Golf: Amateur Sensation Lottie Woad Ready for First Paycheck, Reveals Pro Debut
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Target Hovland in top European markets at The Open
Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick examine where to find value within betting markets for the top continental European at The Open Championship, explaining why Viktor Hovland may be the best bet to make.
