“It’s very flattering” – Viktor Hovland on becoming the ‘best in the world’

Norwegian golf superstar Viktor Hovland said that it was very flattering to be called one of the best in the world. However, he added that given the seasons Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Rory McIlroy had, any of them could be No. 1 in any given week.

Hovland had a great 2022–23 season, claiming three titles on the PGA Tour. His first win came at the Memorial Tournament, but his game elevated during the season-ending FedEx Playoffs when he went on to win the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship, becoming the FedEx Cup 2023 champion.

Smiley Kaufman asked Hovland on The Smylie Show how it felt to be the best golfer in the world. In response, he said:

"It's very flattering. I would say, yes, the way I've played the last couple of months, I believe I am. But at the same time, what Scottie did this year, what Jon Rahm did, and how consistent Rory's played this year, I think any of us could be the best player in the world on any given week. So how much does that matter?"

He continued:

"We're all really good when we play our best, and sometimes the other guys don't play very well, but then the next time they do. It's just how this game of golf works."

Hovland added that he was optimistic for the next few years if he could maintain his level and also improve himself. He said:

"I'm super pumped, and we'll see how it ends up. We’ll see how it ends up. The other guys are playing some damn good golf as well."

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How did Viktor Hovland perform in the 2022–23 season?

Viktor Hovland celebrates winning the Tour Championship golf tournament with the FedEx Cup trophy on the 18th green

The 25-year-old Norwegian didn't miss a single cut in his 23 starts and made nine top-ten finishes this season. He finished runner-up at the PGA Championship and ended up winning three titles on the PGA Tour. Earlier this year, he also won the Hero World Challenge, the PGA Tour's unofficial event.

Viktor Hovland bagged $14,112,235 this season and finished third on the official money list. However, he also bagged a bonus after winning the FedEx Cup, which took his earnings this year to $33,512,235.

The 2023 FedEx Cup champion also made his second Ryder Cup appearance this year and ended up winning 3.5 points for Team Europe. He was the second-highest scorer in Europe's successful campaign at Rome and ended the tournament with a 3-1-1 record.

Here's a look at Viktor Hovland's performance in the 2022–23 season:

• ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP: T5
• THE CJ CUP in South Carolina: T21
• World Wide Technology Championship: T10
• Hero World Challenge: 1
• Sentry Tournament of Champions: T18
• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: T13
• WM Phoenix Open: T42
• The Genesis Invitational: T20
• Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard: T10
• THE PLAYERS Championship: T3
• World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play: T31
• Masters Tournament: T7
• RBC Heritage: T59
• Wells Fargo Championship: T43
• PGA Championship: T2
• Charles Schwab Challenge: T16
• The Memorial Tournament: P1
• U.S. Open: T19
• Travelers Championship: T29
• Genesis Scottish Open: T25
• The Open Championship: T13
• FedEx St. Jude Championship: T13
• BMW Championship: 1
• TOUR Championship: P1
• Ryder Cup: 1