Hovland goes from winning Memorial to caddying in US Open qualifier

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Viktor Hovland didn’t have much time to celebrate the biggest win of his career. One day after winning the Memorial, he went 36 holes as a caddie in U.S. Open qualifying Monday.

Hovland, who won in a playoff Sunday at Muirfield Village and earned $3.6 million, was on the bag for Zach Bauchou, his former roommate at Oklahoma State.

This was not planned all that far in advance.

“We went to dinner on Saturday and I jokingly said, ‘Why don’t you come caddie on Monday?’ He said, ‘Dude, I will.’ If he says he’s going to do something, he’ll do it,” Bauchou said.

Hovland was one shot out of the lead at the Memorial on Saturday. He closed with a 2-under 70 and then won with a par in the playoff over Denny McCarthy.

Hovland declined to be interviewed. He had a dozen or so people following at Brookside Golf & Country Club, some of them taking video of the No. 5 player in the world ranking a bunker or tending the flag.

When the long day was over, Hovland — the carry bag still slung over his shoulder — stopped and posed for photos with some of the spectators.

Bauchou failed to qualify, posting a 72 at The Lakes Golf & Country Club and making only one birdie in his round of 76 at Brookside.

They were teammates in 2018 — Bauchou is one year ahead — when Oklahoma State won the NCAA title with a team that also included Matthew Wolff and Austin Eckroat. Bauchou, who is playing mini-tours this year, said they were roommates from Hovland’s freshman year.

Hovland, a 25-year-old from Norway, still lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Without the Memorial champion living up to his word, Bauchou said he would have carried his own bag.

“It was nice to have him come out and caddie,” Bauchou said. “He’s been a good friend for a long time. He’s a good person.”

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Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press