Major championships, especially one of golf's oldest traditions like the Open Championship, force players to go big or go home, and we often see this reflected through style. We’ve seen some pretty daring looks in the tournament’s 151-year history, but we’re not sure anything could prepare golf for the whirlwind that is Viktor Hovland’s major scripting reputation going into the final major of the year. The 25-year-old Norwegian has made a name for himself regarding his on-course looks. More often than not, Hovland aattracts more media attention for his fashion style than his playing style. But why? What is it about his brightly colored polos and pullovers that catapult some fans into an absolute tizzy?
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Hovland has been an ambassador for J.Lindeberg, a Swedish high-end golf and fashion brand, since his rookie season in 2019. And over the last four years, there have been plenty of notable fashion choices that have been engraved into our memory. From lightning bolts and bright pink pants to vibrant polos, we've become quite familiar with his flashy on-course flair that comes with his an unwavering confidence that is to be envied.

When asked about his style choices at the PGA Championship, Hovland’s response was quite candid. "Well," he said, "J.Lindeberg, they give me this stuff and pay me money to do so, so I just show up and wear what they want me to wear."

Whether he’s blindly dressing to cash his checks or truly enjoys created waves in the golf style world, we have to give credit where credit is due— a lot of attention has been following the young pro and his apparel sponsor that’s working to expand its reach in the U.S. golf market. Let’s also not ignore the fact that Hovland choose to attend and play golf for Oklahoma State University, another institution known for incredibly bright colors. So, perhaps he’s always had a penchant for eye-catching on-course looks.

This week at Royal Liverpool is no different. We got a sneak peek at Hovland's scripting at his Wednesday practice round, where it seems like the four-time PGA Tour winner may be taking a few style hints from the buzz from Barbie’s resurgence and recent pink-takeover in fashion. As much as we would love to see Hovland being a marketing ploy for the summer blockbuster, with his cheeky smile and happy-go-lucky attitude, the inspiration for his looks actually draws from the energetic beaches of South Beach, as part of J.Lindeberg's Summer Holiday collection. The array of pinks, blues, and greens just screams “Miami Vice”, which will certainly brighten up the forecast at Royal Liverpool and make Hovland an unmissable figure all week long.

His practice round teaser, the solid Barbie-pink polo and black pants, is relatively mild compared to his Thursday through Sunday looks. For his opening round, Hovland is set to wear one of the most eye-catching looks we've seen all season—and that’s saying something for anyone who tuned in to see his fiery orange scripting at Oak Hill.

The white-on-white first-round look, featuring J.Lindeberg’s Pink Painted Bridge Tour Collection Polo paired with white pants is a difficult ensemble for anyone to pull off, but with the added touches of the pink-painted bridge print, we're not mad at the styling choice. For his second round, Hovland, or whoever selects his on-course looks, selected an aqua/royal blue combination accented with white detailing — which resembles certain elements of his memorable U.S. Open looks.

In the quest for his first major win, we hope to see Hovland make it to the weekend, where he will potentially debut a series of bumble gum pink looks for Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday ensemble mirrors his opening round look, with the same pink-painted bridge print remixed into vertical-striped pattern. To tone it down a touch, he’ll pair with deep navy blue pants and a matching belt. On Sunday Hovland is set to wear the Glen polo in azalea pink, featuring J.Lindeberg’s painted bridge detailing along the collar.

Hovland showcased a few pieces of the Summer Holiday collection in L.A. during the U.S. Open, but those looks will easily be overshadowed by this week's scripting — this just may be his boldest set of looks ever. Hovland is paired with Justin Thomas and Tony Finau, two players who also have had their fair share of bold on-course fashion choices. It's safe to say that they will easily be the best (and likely loudest) dressed group in the field.

He's never one to shy away from vibrant colors and striking patterns, it's become a highly anticipated aspect as major weeks approach — what will Hovland flaunt on the fairways? He's the clear front-runner for most talked-about looks this year, starting with his macro-printed azalea polo from the first round of the Masters sold out globally by the end of the day. Hovland stuck out like a sore thumb around the grounds of Augusta, and though he faced plenty of slack for his choice of attire — he backed it up by firing an opening round 65. In this instance, bad press is indeed good press.

But the golf fashion police (and Twitter trolls) clocked Hovland again at the PGA Championship. Hovland hadn't even made the turn during his opening round at Oak Hill before his navy and carrot orange knit pullover had become a trending topic. After the morning chill defrosted, he shed his outer layer and revealed his fiery sunset orange polo, with a diamond motif. The bright orangey hues Hovland sported all weekend matched his cheeky personality we've all grown fond of. It's unclear what about the knit mid-layer alerted the fashion police. The blue/orange color combo isn't a foreign concept. Plenty of sporting teams dawn those colors, especially in New York. From the Mets, to the Knicks, to Syracuse — perhaps the choice was inspired by the geography of the championship. Or maybe folks are being sticklers and took issue with his bright white pants before Memorial Day
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Hovland's sunset-inspired outfits at the PGA Championship drew so much attention, that most people may have missed that he is now sporting the PUMA Men's IGNITE Articulate Golf Shoes over his usual Nike Roshe G tour shoes. He hasn't made any other notable change to his equipment or apparel besides the shoes, and it doesn't seem like he's making the switch back to the Nikes any time soon.
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Golf fashion can often be mundane and monotonous, so seeing pinks, oranges, and other daring colors and patterns on one of the best golfers in the world is fun. It makes watching him fun and much easier to track for those onsite. When you finish in the top 10 in the first two majors of the year and add another win to your already extensive resume—you can dress however you want.

Hovland is one of the biggest and brightest young stars on tour and his style is a reflection of his youthful, playfulness. We're not that far removed from Rickie Fowler's tangerine monochromatic looks, or John Daly's Loudmouth era — and they went on relatively unscathed. Those outfits are arguably more out there than Hovland's. He often has a statement piece, whether a polo or pants, that is muted down with the rest of his outfit. He does balance extremely well, and for that, we're not mad at Hovi's choices. He's just a player, he didn't design the clothes — J.Lindeberg has a very specific demographic in mind, and whether they are your style or not, their take on golf apparel is a refreshing break from the sea of navys that pro tournaments often feel like.