It was in 2023 when Viktor Hovland burst into the spotlight on the PGA Tour. While he already had 3 wins under his belt by then, it was his win at the 2023 Memorial and the Tour Championship that boosted him into the world’s top five at the time. He began his career when he won the 2018 U.S. Amateur and was ranked No. 1 on the WAGR in 2019. Fast forward to 2025, and Hovland continues to be a strong contender with 7 wins on the Tour. He’s also the first from his country to win on the PGA Tour. So, where exactly is Viktor Hovland from?

Viktor Hovland was born on September 18, 1997, in Oslo, Norway. He picked up golf at the age of 11, following in the footsteps of his father, Harald Hovland, who was an engineer and introduced him to the game. His father was a visiting engineer on a project in the U.S. and bought a set of golf clubs to kill time at a range, which was en route to work. On his return to Norway, he picked up a junior set of clubs for Viktor Hovland, and then there was no looking back.

Hovland had very supportive parents when he grew up. His mother, Galina Hovland, wanted him to pursue his golfing interests seriously. She learned about golf scholarships in the US from a few of her friends, and that’s when Hovland went to Oklahoma State University. He was the first Norwegian player to win the 2018 U.S. Amateur, and this helped him earn an invite to the 2019 Masters, where he finished as the lowest amateur. At the 2021 Players Championship, his mother called in a rules infraction on her son when Hovland played his ball from the wrong spot on the green. It cost him two strokes, but it only speaks volumes of Hovland’s integrity and upbringing.