TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 30, 2026

Viktor Hovland

East Lake Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Overall, how do you assess the week given how close you came at the end?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Overall, the week-wise, second place is a good showing.

Obviously pretty disappointed with how I played today, just with the position that I was at. I only would have needed 1-under par to force a playoff. If I just had my normal game, my normal ball striking from the previous years, I think I take away this tournament.

That's obviously disappointing, but at the same time, it's the way that I was able to have a chance to really win this event after being in some big holes throughout the season. I mean, I was able to battle myself out of it and win Travelers and then come back out here and almost win the whole thing.

I kind of look at it as a huge positive, but at the same time, just a reminder of what I feel like I should have done.

Q. You're constantly searching for your best. Did you have that these first few days at East Lake?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: I mean, scoring-wise it's hard to do much better than 15-under par after three days around here, but I did that mostly with the putter and just willing the ball in the hole, and that only gets you so far. I almost did it for 72 holes, but it's really difficult when you have to do that on every single hole.

When we talk about my ceiling, I didn't feel like I was anywhere close to it, but I obviously scored really well this week.

Q. Do you feel optimistic about the trajectory of the game as you leave?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: I mean, scoring-wise, I feel like I'm really close. If I can just help myself out a little bit, just put the ball in the fairway and have one predictable shot, I feel like I'm going to play some really good golf.

It's just frustrating when I see the same misses coming back time and time again. The first few days, I felt like I still wasn't swinging it all that great, but the ball went straight. On Sunday or today, I still wasn't swinging it great, and now the ball went sideways. When that happens, it just doesn't feel like I could have done much today.

Just trying to battle it out, and actually proud of the way I was able to will myself into the tournament.

Q. Is this the start of your off-season or playing some of the European stretch coming up?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: I've got three tournaments coming up on the DP. I'm frankly ready for a little break, but it will be nice to compete over there as well. They put up some great tournaments. I look forward to going over there to compete, but yeah, I'd like to spend some time just honing in my game for next year.

Q. Obviously a very difficult setup today. Scottie puts up a 66. Are you amazed ever by what he's able to do?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: I wouldn't say amazed. It's good. He's just good, and he played good every day. I could have shot 66 easily as well today, just didn't have it. The ball was going left and right, but if I feel like I know where the ball's going, 66 is easy to shoot out there.

Kudos to him is that he shows up and does it when you have to do it, and that's how you win golf tournaments, and that's how he's won so much.

Q. Do you feel like there's a lot in the off-season to do or just like small refining?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: That's a good philosophical question because in this game you might feel like you're really far away, but you're never really that far away maybe as you think. But at the same time, I do -- I would like to -- because I've deviated so far off of my original DNA, I would like to push that closer to my DNA.

We'll see kind of how difficult that is. The problem is that I've tried to do that throughout the season the last couple years, but it's so difficult when you have to play every single week and perform. It kind of feels like you're taking one step forward and then one step back every single week, and that takes a little bit of a toll.

I would like to have just an extended period of time to where I could really make some progress and stack the chips.

Q. Is that his secret weapon, Scottie, is that he's just always good? He doesn't seem to really be searching for it.

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, he knows where the ball's going. I don't think he's trying to do too much with it. I think he knows that he's got an edge on most guys out here. So he doesn't have to do anything crazy. He can play smart and just kind of pick his spots, stay in it constantly.

Today it wasn't like anybody else really played all that great in contention, and that's what you see, a lot of guys just gagging and throwing up, and that's where he just kind of stays in it and shoots a nice score. That gets the job done.