'Lean on my short game': Hovland rides biggest weakness to Masters first-round lead
The Norwegian made a trio of brilliant par saves, shooting a bogey-free 65 Thursday to sit atop the leaderboard.
Shane Bacon and Colt Knost thought Viktor Hovland was toast.
The Masters ‘Featured Groups’ commentators have seen the best of players struggle to get up-and-down from precarious positions around Augusta National greens, where benevolent grass turns into a match that lights the scorecard on fire. Hovland strode up to the 10th green 5-under and atop the leaderboard, but he found his ball in the rough and short-sided, pitching over a bunker and downhill.
Bacon and Knost called the shot ‘impossible’. Hovland’s momentum appeared destined for an abrupt finish.
But Hovland has expressed newfound confidence in his short game this season, and he put that belief on display with one of the best shots of Thursday’s first round. The Norwegian landed his pitch shot on the fringe and watched it trickle down the slope to within four feet. Like every meaningful putt for Hovland Thursday, he drained it, continuing his career-best Masters round that finished 7-under and tied for first with Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka heading into Friday.
“That’s definitely not the spot to miss it at,” Hovland told Scott Van Pelt on ESPN after the round. “I was looking in the fringe, and I actually had the same shot in the practice round. I did a little bit better this time.”
Hovland had similar saves on 14 and 18. The final hole featured an intelligent shot out of the right-side bunker, playing the slope rather than attacking the hole, giving him a chance at a clutch par.
Over the last 12 months, Hovland ranks 121st in the world in strokes gained around-the-green. He’s improved that mark to 107th in the three months building up to Augusta.
On Thursday, Hovland ranked 16th in the field.
“Obviously, very excited to go out there and shoot bogey-free, shoot 65 and kind of lean on my short game all day. That was really special,” Hovland said.
Dressed like a Sonic Cherry Limeade, Hovland survived with his chipping, and thrived with his irons and putter. He hit 13 greens in regulation and averaged just 1.44 putts on the day. He led the field in strokes gained putting, and was eighth tee-to-green.
The round hit high gear thanks to an eagle on No. 2. Three birdies in the final four holes on the front-nine gave Hovland the outright lead. He was dominant on the four Par-5’s, shooting 4-under.
There was some good fortune involved, but no one wins The Masters without a few benevolent bounces. Hovland looked frustrated after drives on 5, 9 and 11, but he found short grass after all three shots and managed to score 1-under on that trio of holes.
This was a day of firsts for Hovland. It was his first round lower than 70 at Augusta National, and he finally got the chance to play with Tiger Woods.
In front of his childhood icon, who has his own fair share of memorable chips, Hovland showed off the short game worthy of a major champion. Three more rounds of stellar play around the green, and that career-defining achievement may just come this Sunday.