The driver off the deck is one of the most fun shots in golf. Well, to watch, at least. For us weekend hackers, it’s probably best to adhere to a strict do-not-try-this-at-home policy.
The best players in the world, though, are actually capable of pulling off this high risk/reward shot. Last week, we even saw Tiger Woods poke a nice one that set up a birdie. But Tiger’s attempt has nothing on what what Viktor Hovland did during Thursday’s opening round at the BMW Championship.
The young star went with the big dog to try to reach the par-5 15th hole at Olympia Fields in two and scooted one onto the green perfectly. Even better was this face-on camera angle that captured the highlight. Check it out:
According to Shot Tracker, Hovland’s tee shot on the 609-yard hole went 296 yards. His second? An even 300 yards to 37 feet, from which he two-putted for birdie.
And if you’re thinking Hovland must be going for broke because he’s desperate to advance in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, that’s not the case. At No. 24 he’s in solid shape to remain in the top 30 and advance to his first Tour Championship.
He’s also in solid shape at one over par after a difficult first round at Olympia Fields. With birdies hard to come by, we can expect Hovland to remain aggressive if he sees a scoring opportunity. And hopefully the cameras are rolling again when he does.