Viktor Hovland not fully satisfied with 'confidence level' despite flawless Genesis Scottish Open opener

Despite having a flawless start at the Genesis Scottish Open 2025, Viktor Hovland is still not completely pleased with his confidence level. However, he added that he was heading in the right direction and was hopeful of improving.

On Thursday, July 10, Hovland carded a bogey-free 4-under 66 in the first round of the Genesis Scottish Open 2025. He picked up four birdies to shoot his second straight bogey-free round of the season.

During the post-round interview, Hovland didn’t seem satisfied with his current form.

"Still not entirely pleased with how things feel, and the confidence level is still not where I want it to be," he said. "But it's been nice to see that I can win at Valspar and have a chance to contend at the US Open, and had a nice week at the Travelers before I had to withdraw with my neck."

"But I've been trending in the right direction, even though it still doesn't feel great. If I can hit the ball most of the time where I'm looking and make a few putts and scramble, we can still compete. So that's when it comes down to it, that's what matters. Hopefully, the confidence level can improve as we go along," he added.

Following the first-day action at the Renaissance Club, Viktor Hovland is tied for 9th and sits two shots off the lead. The star Norwegian is paired alongside Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele for the second round of the Genesis Scottish Open 2025. The trio will resume play on Friday, July 11, at 3:28 a.m. ET from the tenth tee.

Viktor Hovland's performance at the Genesis Scottish Open 2025, Round 1 explored

Here's a look at Viktor Hovland's hole-by-hole scorecard for the Genesis Scottish Open 2025, Round 1:

Hole 1 (Par 4): 4 (E)
Hole 2 (Par 4): 3 (-1)
Hole 3 (Par 5): 5 (-1)
Hole 4 (Par 4): 4 (-1)
Hole 5 (Par 4): 3 (-2)
Hole 6 (Par 3): 3 (-2)
Hole 7 (Par 4): 4 (-2)
Hole 8 (Par 4): 4 (-2)
Hole 9 (Par 3): 3 (-2)
OUT: 33 (-3)
Hole 10 (Par 5): 4 (-3)
Hole 11 (Par 4): 4 (-3)
Hole 12 (Par 3): 3 (-3)
Hole 13 (Par 4): 4 (-3)
Hole 14 (Par 3): 2 (-4)
Hole 15 (Par 4): 4 (-4)
Hole 16 (Par 5): 5 (-4)
Hole 17 (Par 3): 3 (-4)
Hole 18 (Par 4): 4 (-4)
IN: 33 (-4)
Total: 66 (-4)

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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.

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Edited by Shobhit Kukreti