WATCH: McIlroy Takes On Hovland In A Hilarious 14 Club Challenge

The pair faced each other in the lighthearted competition at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai

Hovland and McIlroy stand with their golf bags
(Image credit: DP World Tour)

Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland are the latest players to take part in the DP World Tour’s hilarious 14 Club Challenge.

The pair took on the challenge while in Dubai for the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic in something of a lighthearted precursor to the serious action of the tournament, which Hovland won, with McIlroy finishing third. 

The rules of the 14 Club Challenge are simple enough, with players having to use all 14 clubs to try and hit the green on a par three hole. Each shot that hits the green gains a point for the player. However, there’s one twist – when a player uses a club, both players lose it. Predictably, the action that follows is both hilarious and fun.

Without giving too much away, things get off to a steady enough start after McIlroy wins the toss and selects a pitching wedge. However, by the time the 6 iron is being pulled out, the pair have to get more creative – something Hovland admits to lacking in an exchange, concluding: “I wish I had practised more like this. It would have helped me for this moment!”

On the challenge goes, until, by the time it’s the turn of the 3 wood, Hovland declares McIlroy a narcissist! As the amusement continues, the challenge predictably finishes with a putter and a somewhat unusual stance. You can check out the video below.

Previous editions of the 14 Club Challenge have seen the likes of Lee Westwood play Matt Fitzpatrick, Eddie Pepperell face Ryan Fox, Padraig Harington take on Graeme McDowell, and cricketers Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad compete.

Mike Hall
Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 


He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 


Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 


Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.