Revealed: Viktor Hovland's Mother Informed Him Of Rules Breach

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published 12 March 21

After Viktor Hovland's rules breach on Thursday, it's been revealed that it was, in fact, his mother who informed him of the incorrect marker placement.

Viktor Hovland's Mother Informs Him Of Rule Breach

Viktor Hovland had endured a dramatic first round on Thursday at The Players Championship, with not one but two rules issues having to be resolved at TPC Sawgrass.

The Norwegian was playing the 15th hole when he moved his ball marker one putter head to avoid Justin Thomas’ line.

After Thomas had putted, Hovland replaced his ball marker. However, he actually moved it one putter head in the wrong direction.

As a result, Hovland broke Rule 14.7, which states: ‘The score with the ball played from a wrong place counts, and the player gets the general penalty under Rule 14.7 (which means that two penalty strokes are added to the score with that ball).'

According to reports, on Thursday afternoon, rules official Gary Young told PGATour.com that Hovland was notified by someone in Norway of the infringement.

It turned out that the person who identified the rules infringement from Norway was none other than Hovland’s mother, Galina.

According to Young, the 23-year-old had been heading to his car after his round had finished, when his mother rang and asked him if he was going to get a penalty for what occurred on the 15th.

Hovland had no idea what she was talking about, with Young stating: "He and his caddie reached out to our committee and asked if we had any video of it, because he had no recollection of doing it.”

Looking back at the video, it did show that Hovland failed to put the mark in its precise spot, therefore his score was changed from a two-under-par 70, to a level-par 72.

“He had left the property,” Young said to PGATour.com. “I sent him a clip of the video, and he’s very comfortable with the result, that he’s getting the penalty. He understands the rule. He didn’t know he did it.”

Hovland currently sits around the cut mark at TPC Sawgrass that is projected to be even-par.

Matt Cradock

Matt studied Sports Journalism at Southampton Solent University, graduating in 2019. Now a freelance writer for Golf Monthly and the PGA, he covers all aspects of the game, from Tour news to equipment testing and buyers’ guides. Taking up the game at the age of six, Matt currently holds a handicap of 3 and despite not having a hole in one…yet, he has had two albatrosses. His favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.