By Steve Keating
ST ANDREWS, Scotland (Reuters) – Viktor Hovland will channel some of his inner Attacking Viking on Sunday when he bids to become the first Norwegian to win one of golf’s four major championships.
A winter sport powerhouse that can usually be found at the top of the Winter Olympics medal table, Norway could add a Claret Jug to the country’s list of sporting conquests after Hovland carded an error free six-under 66 on Saturday to join Rory McIlroy atop the British Open leaderboard.
While Hovland has developed into one of the world’s best golfers, like all Norwegians he first learned to ski and will need some of the Attacking Viking spirit personified in the country’s alpine ski team that has consistently developed Olympic and world champions.
“I don’t think you’re truly a Norwegian if you don’t ski at all,” said Hovland. “We usually joke around saying we’re born with two skis on our feet.
“So, yeah, I’ve done a little bit.”
Having won a third career PGA Tour title this year along with four top 10 results, Hovland is rated one of golf’s hot young talents.
But the 24-year-old had been ice cold coming into St Andrews, missing the cut at his last two events the U.S. and Scottish Opens.
The Scottish links, however, have been to Hovland’s liking and he has collected just four bogeys through three sparkling rounds of 68, 66 and 66 on the Old Course.
“I don’t think there’s any other place that would top it (to win a major),” said Hovland. “Growing up in Norway I always watched The Open Championship for way longer than I ever did the Masters.
“To win a major that’s closest to home, that would be really cool.”
Like he did on Saturday, Hovland will play Sunday’s final round in the final pair with McIlroy, the betting and crowd favourite to win a fifth major.
Despite both players being four shots clear of the chasing pack, Hovland was not viewing Sunday as a match play showdown with the Northern Irishman for the Claret Jug.
“There’s a lot of things that can happen,” he said. “In these conditions and these pin placements, you can play fine and shoot around even-par, and then that brings in a lot of other guys as well.
“So it just depends what the conditions are going to be like tomorrow, the pin locations, and just frankly how we play.”
(Reporting by Steve Keating in St Andrews; Editing by Ken Ferris)
