ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

January 20, 2022

Viktor Hovland

Yas Links

Quick Quotes

Q. There was mention of some jet-lag early in the week but certainly no science of it out there today. You must be excited to get out of the blocks like that?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: It was nice. I didn't hit the best shots early on but you managed to get away with it and hit made a bunch of putts today, and that obviously helped get over the jet-lag.

There are some tricky pins out there, and obviously the greens are very severe. I don't know, this grass, I just feel really comfortable putting on the paspalum grass, and I read the greens perfectly. And just started on my line and this is a day where those putts go in, and I was able to take advantage of it.

Q. The forecast tomorrow throughout the day, will be gusting and the wind a lot stronger. How conscious were you out of that today?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, you just have to do the best you can. You can't control what's going to happen tomorrow. It's easy to force pain a couple birdies here and there but you've got to be very disciplined because there's some tricky pins and you get a little greedy and miss on the wrong sides, you just don't have a shot. Even though it's important to get a low one today, big thing was only making one bogey today. That was good.

Q. And just finally, talk us through your strategy on 18. There was some very brave play out there, that second shot, signs of a confident golfer.

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I wasn't sure what the number for the lay up was so I figured I would hit a 3-wood and go straight at the green. I did the same thing yesterday in the Pro-Am and I hit it in the water. I aimed it a bit further right this time. I still hit it a little off the toe but it was good enough.