ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

January 19, 2022

Viktor Hovland

Yas Links

Press Conference

Q. Kicking off your DP World Tour season out here in Abu Dhabi, how much are you looking forward to the week out here?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, it's a new place. I've never been here before but it's in awesome shape, and just kind of getting the rust away for the new year and ready to get started and competing over here.

Q. You've played in Rolex Series Events before what's it like to play in these events on the DP World Tour?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: It's cool. It's definitely a little different field. Worldwide players and we come to these great events and you've really got to bring your best stuff to have a chance to raise the trophy at the end.

But no, it's going to be a cool experience and I look forward to it.

Q. You've played some big events; is it easy to come to a Rolex Series Event after you've played in big tournaments around the world?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: The more experience you have always helps but there's something to not knowing what you're getting into, and just kind of playing golf and then seeing how it goes.

But, I feel comfortable and I've already been here for a couple days and I feel like I'm going through the preparations and know what I'm getting into. It's not like I'm wondering how it's going to be or what it's going to be like. So I think that helps.

Q. You're obviously in great form, two wins in your last three starts. Must be feeling good about the game and sort of the preparation to the season ahead?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, obviously couldn't have finished the year better than I did last year. I put the clubs away for a few weeks and started the year in Hawai'i where I didn't have the best of prep and was pretty rusty and starting to feel like I'm getting the rust off and feel like I'm getting the game back to where it was before the break.

Q. A new year brings new opportunities, fresh goals perhaps, resolutions. Do you have any of those set for this year?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: No, I'm not a big fan of the new year resolutions, or really set goals or big goals in particular. I try to just control what I can do every day. Incorporate little things into every day or every week that will eventually get me or make me better or get to where I want to be instead of just kind of, you know, oh, next year I'm going to do this or I'm going to be this person. It just doesn't really tend to work out that way.

Q. So in that case, is there anything that you sort of learned about yourself or your game last year that you're going to continue into this year, anything that sort of stands out in your mind?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I think it was revealing for me, a few events I played, especially The Ryder Cup for example. Obviously we took a beating but I really felt like in a lot of the matches I played and with my teammates, we had an upper hand in almost every match that we played. In particular we had great starts I feel like.

But you know, the Americans, at least just that week, I know it's just one week, but it really, to me, it stood out that I have a lot to gain around the greens and on the greens, and wedges. If I can continue to strike it the way I need to or I do, and just slowly improve around the greens and work on my inefficiencies, I think that's going to make a big difference.

Q. You mentioned you've been here a few days already and you've acclimatised to the climate and the environment. Seen you practising a lot around this course. What have you made of it so far, and what are the challenges that it holds?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Obviously there's some wind forecasted around this place. I think it's a good test tee-to-green. The fairways are reasonably wide.

But if you get a few crosswind here and there, you really have to know where the ball is going off the tee. You have to sometimes hold the ball up against the wind or be able to be comfortable working it both ways. If you're far off-line, there's some pretty thick stuff.

The greens are very interesting. There's a lot of slope but again there's not that many flat spots on the green. I'll be interested to see where they put the pins and if the winds get really, really -- if it starts blowing a lot then it could be a really good test.