Report: LIV Golf identify next mega-money signing

Viktor Hovland is the latest PGA Tour star LIV Golf have turned their attentions to, according to a report. 

Per Ewan Murray of the Guardian, the breakaway tour are trying to coax the Norwegian for the 2025 campaign. 

Primarily, that is because a number of players' contracts are up at the end of this year. 

Hovland has been consistently linked with a move to LIV but that is hardly surprising given his obvious talent. 

He won three PGA Tour titles last season and was crowned the FedEx Cup champion for the first time in his career.

Related:

• Report: Wild Rory McIlroy rumour 'complete nonsense'
• Jon Rahm reveals one PGA Tour star had major beef with him at The Masters

Hovland followed the flurry of wins with a glittering performance for Luke Donald's European team at the Ryder Cup in Italy.

The Norwegian picked up 3.5 points from five matches and was expected to go from strength-to-strength this year.

But the 26-year-old has been all at sea with his game so far this season. 

He has only played five PGA Tour events and missed the cut at the 2024 Masters. 

His display at Augusta National was summed up when he missed a putt from a matter of inches and angrily tossed his golf ball into the water. 

Such was his disappointment, Hovland decided to immediately withdraw from this week's signature event at Hilton Head.

Hovland has denied LIV rumours on multiple occasions over the last two years. 

Like Jon Rahm, Hovland was critical of the format and suggested he couldn't imagine playing without a cut. 

"You need 150 players and a cut. If you don't play well enough, you're out," he previously said. 

"There is something about it that makes your game a little sharper. 

"If I had gone to LIV, I don't think I would have become a better golfer. And then it is, in a way, end of discussion.”

Despite Hovland's LIV criticism, it's also important to note the golfer has taken aim at the PGA Tour's hierarchy in recent months.

"The management has not done a good job," Hovland previously said, referencing the tour's vague framework agreement with LIV's financiers that was announced on 6 June 2023. 

That announcement blindsided the players and a peace deal with LIV is yet to be consummated.  

Hovland explained what he meant by that comment before the 2024 Players Championship. 

Criticisng PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan, Hovland blasted: "There were some things that were said that have been walked back on and then things have been very contradictory. 

"As a leader of an organisation, I will want a person like that 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 kind of sweeping it under the rug, which I felt like has been done to a certain degree.”

Elsewhere, a bombshell report linking Rory McIlroy with an $850m move to LIV have been described as 'complete nonsense'. 

Read next:

• Tiger Woods makes LIV Golf claim after finishing dead last at 2024 Masters
• Phil Mickelson 'wouldn't be surprised' if LIV Golf make major change