Everyone wants a piece of Hovland
Viktor Hovland has been snapped up by not one but two of golf’s biggest brands ahead of his pro debut. Equipment editor Hannah Holden has the details
Hello all. Lots has happened since my last column including Gary Woodland becoming a major champion at Pebble Beach. If you missed any of the action you can check out the main stories from US Open week here.
In terms of equipment, I put two of this year’s best-selling drivers head to head to see how they performed against each other and the results were very interesting.
Elsewhere, if you’re thinking of getting a trolley, I ran the rule over the PowaKaddy C2i GPS and Motocaddy S1 to see which one would be more suited for you.
Anyway, it’s not been a huge week for equipment news but a couple of young guns have been snapped up, including…
Viktor Hovland
Former World No. 1 amateur Viktor Hovland has signed with Ping ahead of making his professional debut at the Travelers Championship.
At the US Open, Hovland tied for 12th setting the lowest 72-hole scoring record by an amateur in the event’s history, breaking legendary Jack Nicklaus’s record by two strokes.
We already saw Hovland put the Ping G410 LST in play at Pebble Beach and he saw tremendous results. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee by nearly two full shots.
As part of a multi-year agreement, Hovland will play a minimum of 11 Ping clubs, including a driver and putter. His headwear will display Ping and he’ll carry a Ping Tour staff bag. Take a look in his bag below…
Elsewhere, J.Lindeberg have snapped up the Norwegian to wear their apparelin an exclusive multi-year agreement.
With Hovland’s Norwegian roots, the Scandinavian brand-athlete duo will make their way to TPC River Highlands for the official debut of Hovland as a pro.
Sadly this means the Oklahoma State logo is no more – on his clothes, anyway…
The recent winner of the 2019 Ben Hogan Award, Hovland had a scoring average of 68.59 in collegiate golf, winning three times and racking up eight top-10 finishes.
Matthew Wolff
Matthew Wolff has joined TaylorMade with a multi-year full bag agreement. He is most well known for his unconventional golf swing which has been turning heads on social media.
He achieved the lowest scoring record in college golf history averaging 68.7 as a sophomore, racking up a school record six victories. He rounded out his exceptionally collegiate career by winning an NCAA individual title and the Jack Nicklaus awards awarded annually to the top collegiate player in the country.
Wolff has also signed a full apparel deal with Nike.
Ready to keep swingin’ my swing ⛳️💥 I’m PUMPED to officially start my professional golf career @TravelersChamp!! It‘s been the journey of a lifetime so far & I’m v grateful for my #wolffpack & everyone’s support. Can’t wait to tee it up… let’s do the dang thing #TeamTaylorMade pic.twitter.com/TPLKT24lnS
— Matthew Wolff (@matthew_wolff5) June 6, 2019
Here’s what’s going in Wolff’s bag, starting at the Travelers…
Driver: TaylorMade M6, (8°), Graphite Design TP 7TX
3-wood: TaylorMade M6 (15°), Project X HZRDUS Smoke 6.5 TX
Driving iron: TaylorMade P760 (2, Nippon Modus 130x
Irons: TaylorMade P750 Tour Proto (3-PW), Nippon Modus 130x
Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind Raw (52°, 56° & 62°), True Temper DG x100
Putter: TaylorMade Spider X Copper
Anyway that’s all for this week! I won’t be here next week as I’m playing for Yorkshire in the Northern Counties Match Week at Seaton Carew. If you’re in the area, come and cheer the Yorkshire girls along!
Hannah Holden
Hannah Holden is the Equipment and Instruction Editor here at National Club Golfer. If you’re looking to improve your game, by changing your golf swing or upgrading your golf equipment she’ll have the answers.
As well as writing lots of features and reviews you can find her on our YouTube channel giving you insights on the latest rules, clubs and tips to improve your golf game.
Hannah is a member at Alwoodley golf club. You will either find her here or driving up and down the country playing in a variety of elite amateur events.
