Viktor Hovland is golf's unassuming smiling assassin, loves heavy metal music, in form of his life a
The 2023 Ryder Cup is underway, and in Viktor Hovland, Team Europe have a secret weapon.
Team USA are the defending champions after victory in 2021, but Europe possess an excellent home record, and the Norwegian is one of their leading lights.
Hovland is the world's current number four and is a contender for Player of the Year after winning the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup in August earlier this year.
The 26-year-old looks to be heading to the very top, and the 2023 Ryder Cup could prove to be a defining moment.
Hovland was born in Oslo, Norway and started playing football, but it was never a game that grabbed his attention.
He said: “I was a decent defender.
Read more about Hovland
“I had a blast doing that, but I wasn’t too serious about it. It was just to hang out with my class buddies.”
But golf was very different from the moment he started playing.
Hovland first picked up a set of clubs at age 11 while in the USA with his dad, Harald.
And from that point, he was hooked.
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“I was dead set on playing golf from the age of 12," he said.
“It can be pretty depressing in the winter and, when the winter came, I said to my dad, 'I want to hit balls indoors. I don’t just want to play in the summer and then not play for four months'.
“I had a few other juniors my age and we were able to keep it fun."
From there, it was a rapid rise up the ranks until he turned professional in 2019.
The 26-year-old now lives in Oklahoma and has since won six PGA events, two European ones and a couple of others.
He is yet to be victorious at a Major, but that will surely follow.
In his relatively short career, the Norwegian has established himself as one of the most unique characters on the circuit.
He's always pictured with a grin on his face, making it appear as if he isn't taking things too seriously.
But that's not the case at all, and he's earned the nickname 'smiling assassin' because of his calm demeanour coupled with ruthless competitiveness.
He is a player much admired by his fellow professionals.
Rory McIlroy is one of his biggest fans and praised Hovalnd's ability in 2021.
He said: "He's one of the best players in the world."
However, his taste in music has proven to be less popular than his golfing ability.
The Norwegian is a huge fan of heavy metal and hardcore music.
He uses it when practising, but his fellow Team Europe teammates don't get it at all.
Ahead of the Ryder Cup getting underway, Hovland was asked to name his current favourite song.
He selected 'Instill' by Humanity's Last Breath.
His teammates then sat and listened to the song and everyone, bar Justin Rose, hated it.
McIlroy said: “That’s like the most horrific thing I’ve ever heard in my life. The music and the beats are okay, but when the guy starts to sing, it’s horrendous.”
And as if anyone else needed to know, Hovland demonstrated his ridiculous ability with an incredible hole-in-one on a par 4 during one of the final practise rounds before the Ryder Cup got underway.
The Norwegian is a unique character, but he is one of Europe's best players, and if they are to win, he needs to be at the top of his game.
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And given the year he's had, it would be a major surprise if this doesn't turn out to be Hovland's tournament.
The 2023 Ryder Cup tees off in Rome this Friday and we'll have full commentary on talkSPORT 2 from 6am
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