“I’d like to think of myself as a thinker” - Viktor Hovland opens up on his ‘curious’ side outside of golf

Viktor Hovland is a fan favorite on the PGA Tour. The 25-year-old Norwegian golfer currently sits 5th in the world rankings and has recorded four wins on the circuit. Despite the big career and fanfare, the 2018 US Amateur don’t think that people have fully understood him.

Hovland recently opened up his mind regarding people’s perception of him. The young golfer said that his fans merely watch him play golf and thus, don’t really get to know him. The golfer, popular for his happy attitude on and off the pitch, said that he considers himself “a thinker.” He said he is “very open-minded,” all of which the people watching him on TV don’t know of.

Speaking to GOLF.com in an exclusive interview, the golfer said that he doesn’t have many strong opinions to start a podcast of his own, but likes to question things around him.

Opening up on himself, Viktor Hovland said:

“I think I’m very open-minded. I’m curious. I’d like to think of myself as a thinker. I don’t take stuff for granted. I love discussions and arguments without having any preconceived biases. I just like to chat and try to figure things out and learn.”

Viktor Hovland with the Memorial Tournament trophy (Image via Getty)

He explained:

“I think when you’re playing golf, they just watch you play golf. The guy that I’m on TV — I don’t think you can really get to know me just by watching me play. But I think if I were to have a podcast or something, and I talked for 10 hours a week, and you listened to every single hour, I think you would probably get a good idea of who I am as a person. But when I’m just playing golf on TV, I don’t think people really get to know you.”

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Viktor Hovland on starting a podcast

Replying to a query on whether he has considered starting a golf podcast, Viktor Hovland backed out and said that he isn’t ‘the guy that would listen to himself talk.’

The PGA Tour player said with a smile:

“No. I was just making an example. I like listening to podcasts. I’m not the guy that would really listen to myself talk.”

Furthermore, Viktor Hovland stated that he doesn’t really care about people’s perceptions of him. The 25-year-old Norwegian said that he is happy and was okay with doing the things he wants to do.

Having created a reputation as an avid road-tripper, Hovland added that he is really interested in things around him than people’s opinions.