{"id":488101,"date":"2026-02-20T17:33:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T17:33:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/488101\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T17:33:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T17:33:23","slug":"riviera-shut-down-viktor-hovlands-sneaky-shortcut-hes-not-amused","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/488101\/","title":{"rendered":"Riviera shut down Viktor Hovland’s sneaky shortcut. He’s not amused"},"content":{"rendered":"

To the list of famous trees in golf \u2014 the Eisenhower Tree, the Lone Cypress, the Ghost Tree<\/a> \u2014 we can now add two more: the Hovland Trees.<\/p>\n

A pair of sycamores, to be precise, now planted hard along the right side of Riviera\u2019s 487-yard dogleg-right par-4 15th, a hole that ranks second-toughest on the scorecard and typically rates among the nastiest in the Genesis Invitational<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n

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The trees weren\u2019t added for aesthetics. They were installed as a defense against their namesake, Viktor Hovland, who in past Genesis starts has attacked the 15th unconventionally, launching his drive to the right, up the neighboring 17th fairway. It\u2019s not the route Riviera\u2019s designer, George Thomas, had in mind, but it opens up a wider landing area and a clean view of the 15th green. (Several other players have taken the same alternate route, but none has done so as frequently as Hovland).<\/p>\n

Last year, of course, Riviera never got the chance to defend itself. Wildfires forced the Genesis to Torrey Pines<\/a>. But in Hovland\u2019s last appearance in the event at Riviera, he played the 15th in even par for the week \u2014 two pars, a birdie and a bogey. How much of an advantage that detour provided is impossible to say without having access to the alternate reality where he played the hole conventionally.<\/p>\n

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Regardless, this year, Riviera closed the loophole. In practice rounds, the trees appear to have served their purpose.<\/p>\n

But if they\u2019ve stymied Hovland, they haven\u2019t silenced him. On Instagram, Hovland posted photos<\/a> (above) of the new look with a caption that required no translation: SMH.<\/p>\n

Hovland is hardly the first Tour pro to take a creative line in search of a competitive edge. At the Sony Open in Hawaii, Charley Hoffman has taken his drive on the par-5 18th down the 11th fairway. At the now-defunct Dell Technologies Championship, Justin Thomas and several others played the par-4 12th up the adjacent 13th.<\/p>\n

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Just as players get creative, so do courses and tournament committees, whether by planting trees or installing internal out-of-bounds<\/a>. In 2023, Riviera tried a different kind of deterrent, positioning a tournament scoreboard in Hovland\u2019s alternate line.<\/p>\n

Hovland simply hit over it.<\/p>\n

Good luck trying that this week.<\/p>\n

The post Riviera shut down Viktor Hovland\u2019s sneaky shortcut. He\u2019s not amused<\/a> appeared first on Golf<\/a>.<\/p>\n