January 30, 2022 – Viktor Hovland won his first Rolex Series title as he completed a sensational finish with a play-off victory over Richard Bland at the 2022 Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic.

The Norwegian was barely in the picture when he missed a short putt and made a bogey on the 15th but he finished birdie-eagle-birdie to sign for a 66 and post the target at 12 under.

Bland joined him in the clubhouse with a birdie-birdie finish of his own in a 68, with two-time champion Rory McIlroy finding water on the last to fall out of the play-off.

Hovland made a two-putt birdie on the first trip back up the 18th and when Bland failed to get up and down after finding a tricky lie with his second, it was the 24-year-old who was left holding the Dallah trophy at Emirates Golf Club.

Hovland becomes the first Norwegian to win a Rolex Series event and adds this title to his maiden DP World Tour victory at the 2021 BMW International Open.

It is his third win in five starts after back-to-back victories in November and December at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba and Hero World Challenge, and could move him up to third in the Official World Golf Ranking.

“This is pretty wild. I didn’t really think this was possible going in today. I knew I had to shoot a really low number but a lot of things had to go my way and thankful that it did.

“I was fuming after the three-putt on 15 and thought that was it. I knew I just had to try to finish off well and get a nice position for the week. I rolled a really long one on 16, and then on 17, and hey, we got a shot.

“I’m pumping right now. It’s a little bit surreal, and it’s hard to kind of calm yourself a little bit but you’ve just got to rely on all the shots that you hit and just go back to what you know,” said Viktor Hovland.

As with his last successes, Viktor has relied on a golf bag full of PING equipment, including the G425 LST driver, the i210 irons, the Glide Fored Pro wedges and the prototype PLD DS 72 putter.

What’s in Viktor Hovland’s golf bag?

• Driver: PING G425 LST (9º@8,4º, Fujikura Speeder 661 TR-TX)
• Fairway wood: TaylorMade SIM Titanium 3 (15º, Fujikura Ventus 7-X)
• Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW (21º, Fujikura Ventus 9-X)
• Irons: PING i210 (4-PW, KBS Tour-V 120 X)
• Wedges: PING Glide Forged Pro (50º/SS, 56ºS, KBS Tor V 130-X); Titleist Vokey Design SM8 WedgeWorks (60º, KBS Tour 130 X)

• • Putter: PING PLD DS 72 prototipo (acabado Patina, lie 20º, loft 2,5º)
  • Golf ball: Titleist ProV1
  • Apparel: J.Lindeberg
  • Footwear: Nike Golf

  Pictures: Getty y SMS on Tour