Regardless of struggling a freakish harm within the days previous the long-awaited opening occasion of the 2025 PGA Tour season, Viktor Hovland delivered a decent first-round efficiency in Hawaii.
The highly-rated teenager hobbled across the picturesque Plantation Course in Kapalua, the home of The Sentry Championship since just before the turn of the century. Hovland shot a gap spherical rating of 70 to conclude the competitors’s first day in 23rd place, lower than per week after breaking his toe in weird circumstances.
Enjoying by the ache barrier
Following a long-haul flight from his native Norway, Hovland had fallen asleep totally clothed in his Hawaiian resort room. After waking up and deciding to undress, the 2023 FedEx Cup winner stubbed his toe on a mattress body, leading to a considerable fracture.
Within the hours main as much as his tee-off slot, the Oslo-born star was seen hitting balls with out carrying golf sneakers and limping closely between observe photographs. Hovland remained philosophical about his harm all through his preparation, suggesting that breaking his proper pinky toe wouldn’t hurt his swing. Nonetheless, it stays to be seen whether or not the Norwegian — who has six profession PGA Tour wins beneath his belt — can navigate all 4 rounds in Maui.
Confirming what he had told the PGA at a pre-tournament information convention, Hovland remarked that he “flew 24 hours from Norway, acquired again to the resort room and was so drained, fell asleep on the mattress with my garments on and wakened within the center [of the] night time, turned the lights down and stubbed my toe on the mattress body.”
An odd coincidence
The peculiar incident got here inside days of Scottie Scheffler’s unusual Christmas Dinner mishap, which noticed the world primary incur a sizeable gash after by accident dealing with damaged glass. The American shortly underwent surgical procedure, with full restoration anticipated to materialize by mid-January. Nonetheless, Scheffler — not like his earlier Ryder Cup rival — was dominated out of the season opener.
It’s been an especially eventful interval for Hovland, who split with legendary coach Joe Mayo for a second time on the eve of the 2025 marketing campaign. The long-term impression of those probably unsettling incidents stays to be seen, however for now, at the least, the gifted 27-year-old appears to be coping admirably.
