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Viktor Hovland accuses PGA Tour Commish of sweeping LIV Golf mistake under the rug

Hovland vocalized his rather blunt opinion of Jay Monahan and how big of a blunder he made pushing LIV Golf to the side.

The Players, Viktor Hovland, PGA Tour
The Players, Viktor Hovland, PGA Tour
Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images

Viktor Hovland isn’t typically one to go against the grain. He keeps a smile on his face and keeps his comments short and sweet.

One day prior to the 50th PLAYERS Championship, he opened up a bit. Hovland questioned how the PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan handled things since the landmark June 6th announcement was made.

“There were some things that were said that have been walked back on and then things that have been very contradictory,” Hovland said about PGA Tour leadership Wednesday.

“As a leader of an organization, I want a person to take some ownership and say, ‘Hey, we made a couple of mistakes, but this is how we’re going to rectify it.’ Instead of sweeping it under the rug, which I felt like has been done to a certain degree,” he said. “I don’t mind people making mistakes. We all make mistakes. When you make a mistake, you got to own up to it...”

This is surprisingly not the first time Hovland blasted the PGA Tour’s leadership, having done so back in December as well.

THE PLAYERS Championship - Round One, Viktor Hovland
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

He doesn’t claim to know all that has happened and acknowledged he could have put more effort into understanding it. But his focus is on the golf and he’ll still allow the leaders to lead.

“I do trust the players on the PAC to represent the players in the best way possible, and I have been in communication with some of those guys to fill me in,” Hovland said. “... So, I’m trying to stay outside a little bit and play my game because, yeah, I trust the guys on the board to kind of do their thing.”

The 26-year-old is just one of many PGA Tour golfers who feel the commissioner has not had the players’ best intentions in mind.

Xander Schauffele went on record again this week questioning the commissioner.

Lucas Glover trashed the PGA Tour last week regarding the Signature Events structure, calling it “selfish” and a “money grab.”

Hovland, Schauffele, Glover and many others are choosing to hold management accountable by being forthright with their opinions.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

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