Viktor Hovland is changing his strategy for the 2026 Masters. Instead of grinding on tour, he's taking a relaxed scouting trip to Augusta National. This new approach comes as he battles to find rhythm in his game early this season.

When asked about his plans before the Masters, Hovland said he got an early invite to play the course.

"I will, actually. Not for necessarily a scouting trip, but I was invited to go and play and, yeah, so we're going to make a little trip out of it," he said.

Following his grind at the Valspar Championship, Hovland will be spending his next two-week break from the PGA TOUR at the historic Georgia course. This course will be his main preparation to get comfortable before the first major of the season.

The world-class ball-striker is trying to find a rhythm following his first round at the Copperhead course at Innisbrook, where he put up a fight to remain under par. After finishing his first round at 1-under, he said to the media, "So all in all, somewhat happy with the 1-under after still not feeling very comfortable out there, but I am seeing some progress, so that's nice."

Despite recent struggles, Hovland sees technical progress in his game. He finished the round strong with a late birdie and a key par save.

For Norwegian golf, this is a milestone year, as three players are in the Valspar field for the first time. Hovland said, "It's pretty nuts. We don't have to look that far back before we didn't have any players."

Memories of the Crow's Nest

Hovland's history at Augusta National includes some great memories from his time as a top amateur, like staying in the famous Crow's Nest, the tradition for amateurs competing in the tournament.

"It was cool. I remember I played as an amateur and I had Álvaro Ortiz was an amateur with me," Hovland remembered. "And I was pretty good buddies with him from college golf … watched March Madness together and, yeah, it was a good time."

He enjoyed the company while at Crow's Nest, but he had never been at the exclusive Augusta cabins. When asked if he would be staying in one during this visit, he said, "Probably not, no," but added, "I'm sure it's amazing."

The 2026 Masters will be the ultimate test of Hovland's new, relaxed prep style. Fans are interested in seeing what this new approach does for his chances of winning his first Green Jacket.

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Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar