TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 27, 2026

Viktor Hovland

TPC River Highlands

Press Conference

Q. Did you usually get that support here, or was it just a product of the World Cup?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I think the World Cup obviously brings a few extra ones, yeah, yeah, and the jerseys. Yeah, it was awesome.

Q. What's your biggest takeaway from today? It was a nice dogfight almost.

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, it was really fun. Just had a great time. You know, it's been a while since I've been in this position. You know, to go head-to-head against the best player in the world and pull off some great shots, it was just a lot of fun.

Q. Was there any shot you felt under a little bit of stress?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: I mean, yeah, there's a lot. There's a lot. I mean, this golf course, it's gettable if you play well, but if you miss in the wrong spots and there's multiple times when you're standing over the ball, and you know that, okay, this is an important shot.

I mean, there's numerous tee shots, but I would say, you know, one that really comes to mind is the second shot on 13. Obviously the drive as well is a tricky one. You want to put yourself in position.

You know, there's a lot of them out there, but I would say probably the 13th is the one that comes to mind.

Q. Yesterday I asked you about how much shooting that score yesterday was going to help you trust some of the swing changes you were making and how things were going. How much more does a day like today playing with the World No. 1 right next to you and doing what you did elevate that level of trust?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, no, it was -- you know, obviously the score is nice to shoot a good score, but I'm very process-driven. As soon as I find a certain feel that I can trust and it produces a pretty reliable shot shape, I know that I'm going to be able to score pretty well from there.

So if I happen to shoot 2-under or 6-under or 9-under, it's like that's not the most important thing, in a way. It's like as soon as I see the shots that I'm trying to hit and execute, that's what gives me the confidence.

Then it's all a bonus on top being able to do it at this stage and in front of that many people.

Q. Part of the headline coming out of today is that you've got one shot on Scottie going into Sunday, but there's five shots to the next person. This golf course, as you obviously know, yields a lot of low scores. How much different do you approach tomorrow knowing that if you guys don't get off to a potentially hot start, someone who is farther back all of a sudden is right there next to you?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, and I think that's kind of the beauty of this golf course is that -- you know, I think Scottie and I have separated ourselves from the rest of the field, but at the same time, you know, 14- or 15-under is still very much in this thing if they go and shoot a very low score tomorrow.

So we still have to go out there and, you know, play very similar to what we did today. Otherwise, we're bringing in a lot more guys.

Q. Some guys also seem to be really easy to play with. I've heard that some guys, the natural tempo and the way they go about playing your game meshes with certain players. How is it playing with Scottie?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, Scottie and I have played a lot, and I'd like to think of most of the guys in this field, we are professionals, and it shouldn't matter too much who we play with, but it does matter a little bit.

We have a good rapport, and I think we both have a lot of respect for each other's games. When he hits a good shot, I try to hit a good shot, and there's mutual respect. We say, Good shot, to each other. I think it's a really good vibe.

Q. Explain the rowing thing, Viktor.

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, I mean, we're Vikings, so it's kind of in our DNA.

Q. Did you ever do that thing going to a sport, the row?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: It's kind of funny. That's the first time I've ever seen it. I think that's the first time we've ever done it, especially in the World Cup. So, yeah, it took us 1,000 years to figure it out.

Yeah, I think it's pretty cool.

Q. Viktor, your last two wins came the week after you missed a cut. Any explanation? You missed the cut last week. Any explanation? Any thoughts on that?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: I mean, even if there were, the sample size of two times is not very much, but sure, there's another just added motivation maybe to play well.

Obviously a couple of weeks ago I finished third in Canada and felt like I was on the right track, and just scored horribly last week and just didn't feel super comfortable. I had a couple of really bad misses, but was seeing a lot of progress.

So then getting into this week, I feel like I could easily turn it into a really good week. Yeah, I don't know. It's a crazy game.