Viktor Hovland steamrolls to U.S. Amateur finals against No. 302 Devon Bling
Viktor Hovland, the 20-year-old Norwegian who has dominated opponents all week, is set for U.S. Amateur final match against 18-year-old Devon Bling.
Players and spectators alike could barely see through the thick morning fog that engulfed Pebble Beach on Saturday. If they could, they would’ve seen two spectacular rounds of golf.
Devon Bling, a 18-year-old UCLA sophomore from Ridgecrest, California, defeated Isaiah Salinda 1-up to advance to the U.S. Amateur final, while Viktor Hovland, a 20-year-old Norwegian from Oklahoma State, got past Cole Hammer 3&2 in their semi-final match. These wins set up a Sunday final between the No. 5 ranked amateur in the world in Hovland, who has steamrolled the competition all week, and the 302nd ranked player in Bling who just wanted a chance to play the tournament.
Hovland has been dominant throughout the tournament. He has trailed for just one hole all week, and advanced to the semi-final after becoming the first player in 40 years to win consecutive Amateur matches by seven holes. His opponent on Saturday, Hammer, made five birdies in his last 12 holes but still could not challenge the Norwegian. Hovland birdied his last five holes to finish the match by the 16th.
Hovland has already experienced amateur success. He led Oklahoma State to the NCAA Championship in June, winning all three of his matches along the way. As for his play against Hammer, he admits seeing his opponent continue to make birdies only made him play better.
“First of all, the wind, it wasn’t blowing as hard, and the greens were a little softer, so the conditions were definitely conducive to making birdies,” Hovland said. “But still, you’ve got to hit the shots, and you’ve got to make the putts. I think we just kind of fed off each other a little bit. He made a putt and then I answered, if not the same hole making a putt, I’d make a putt on the next hole, and we just went back and forth.”
While Hovland seemed destined for the final from the start, Bling’s success comes as a surprise. His only experience playing match play is two U.S. Junior Amateurs. He seemed like a seasoned pro against Salinda on Saturday, however. He had four birdies in five holes to start the back-nine to open a 2-up lead. Salinda got to within one after the 16th, but Bling was able to halve the last two holes to close out the match
“I definitely played well today. I wasn’t even counting score,” Bling said. “I hit it incredibly well today, putted well. All aspects of my game were firing on all cylinders. It was a battle against Isaiah. He played really well himself. I was really happy to come out on top.”
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Bling has been playing with a heavy heart this week. He decided to enter the tournament to honor his mother, who passed away in 2013. It was her wish that he be able to play USGA championships, and he is dedicating his performance to her memory.
“Losing her was extremely difficult for my family,” he said. “I know she’s still in my heart and looking down on me, and I’m just hoping to make her proud.”
By making it to the final, both Hovland and Bling earn invitations to the Masters next year. They also get exemptions into next year’s U.S. Open at a course they have come to know well, right here at Pebble Beach.
The 36-hole final begins at 7:30 a.m. Pacific (10:30 a.m. EST). USGA.org will provide coverage beginning at 12:30 p.m. EST, before Fox picks up play at 4:30 p.m. EST.