"It takes a lot out of you" – Viktor Hovland calls the Open Championship conditions 'brutal' after exhausting round

Viktor Hovland said the conditions in the first round of the Open Championship were quite slow. He added that the six-hour-long round was brutal and took a lot out of him, especially with the challenging weather.

On Thursday, July 17, Hovland carded a 2-over 73 in the opening round of the Open Championship 2025. He picked up just one birdie and one eagle but bogeyed five holes.

During the post-round interview, Hovland reflected on the opening day conditions at Royal Portrush.

"It was really slow, I think almost six hours, just under six hours," he said. "That's brutal, especially when you have to focus for so long. It's not easy. Wind picked up there in the afternoon. Yeah, it takes a lot out of you."

Reflecting on his first-round performance, Hovland said he didn’t feel comfortable off the tee.

"Driver's a little bit loose, kind of leaked it a little bit to the right, and I had back-to-back three-putts there on 5 and 6. That kind of ruined a little bit of the round. Still battled in there, and hopefully a nice round tomorrow and we can be right back in it," he added.

When will Viktor Hovland tee off at the Open Championship, Round 2?

Viktor Hovland is paired alongside Jordan Spieth and Ludvig Aberg for the second round of the Open Championship 2025. The trio will tee off on Friday, July 18, at 4:58 a.m. ET from the first tee.

The second round of the Open Championship 2025 will begin on Friday at 1:35 a.m. ET, with Stewart Cink, Matteo Manassero and Marc Leishman teeing off from the first hole.

Following the first-round action at Royal Portrush, Viktor Hovland is tied for 70th and sits six strokes behind the lead. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Harris English, Jacob Skov Olesen, Haotong Li and Matt Fitzpatrick share a joint one-stroke lead over Scottie Scheffler and three others.

Here's the leaderboard for the Open Championship 2025 after the first round (top ten and ties):

T1. Jacob Skov Olesen: -4
T1. Haotong Li: -4
T1. Matt Fitzpatrick: -4
T1. Christiaan Bezuidenhout: -4
T1. Harris English: -4
T6. Matthew Jordan: -3
T6. Scottie Scheffler: -3
T6. Sadom Kaewkanjana: -3
T6. Tyrrell Hatton: -3
T10. Nicolai Hojgaard: -2
T10. Lee Westwood: -2
T10. Rickie Fowler: -2
T10. Rasmus Hojgaard: -2
T10. Aaron Rai: -2
T10. Brian Harman: -2
T10. Maverick McNealy: -2
T10. Justin Rose: -2
T10. Lucas Glover: -2
T10. Tom Kim: -2

About the author

Shobhit is one of Sportskeeda’s most seasoned golf journalists, having already authored 3600+ articles and received nearly 5.7 million reads. Prior to his current role, he worked with the Asiana Times after completing his MSc in Geology, giving him a solid foundation in understanding the terrain, variety and challenges posed by various golf courses.

He is a keen follower of the sport and keeps himself updated about the latest trends, news and updates via social media and various news platforms. Shobhit is also methodical about accuracy, going through multiple articles from leading media houses and reputed sources before writing his own. Simultaneously, he specializes in writing reader-friendly content that conveys the necessary information in simple language.

Shobhit was a fan of Tiger Woods growing up, but of late, Nelly Korda, Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg have caught his attention.

He likes to spend his downtime singing and writing, while he is also an avid watcher of cricket and tennis.

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Edited by Shobhit Kukreti