Viktor Hovland replays the hits in Kapalua.
Specifically, Hovland dusted off his double backswing with the driver, something he did for his tournament debut at the 2018 Porsche European Open while still an amateur.
While Saturday’s PGA Tour live stream at The Sentry explained that Hovland uses the two-stroke backswing to gain distance, that’s not the whole story. Back at the 2018 US Amateur, which Hovland would go on to win, Hovland explained to this scribe that the double pump began as an exercise designed to shorten his backswing; Hovland had a tendency to go too far at the top, causing uncontrollable slices off the tee. The break occurs at what should be the top of Hovland’s backswing.
“I found that when I stopped, I positioned my swing where I could feel a draw,” Hovland said in 2018. “My drives were going a lot straighter and farther, and so I figured I Might as well try it in the tournament.”
Hovland had stopped double pumping by the time he arrived at Pebble Beach that year, although this move returned in some spots over the years when Hovland needed help hitting more of a right-to-left shot or facing a wide fairway where he could use the extra distance – up to 15 yards, but with some sacrifice in accuracy.
