Despite finishing two over par after four rounds, Viktor Hovland claimed third place in the 125th U.S. Open, earning him $1,459,284. Likewise, this result moved him from 14th to 9th in the Official World Golf Ranking. While the 27-year-old golfer from Norway does have the acumen to excel in the sport, credit caddie Shay Knight for Hovland’s success.
Here is some interesting information about the man who helped Viktor Hovland conquer the grueling Oakmont Country Club last week.
1. Knight Keeps Viktor Hovland Away from Golf’s Pressures
While caddies help golfers navigate the course and make accurate reads, Shay Knight also ensures that Hovland isn’t too tight when it’s time to compete.
Hence, as written by Golf Monthly’s Sam Tremlett and Johnny Leighfield, “In an interview after the 2025 Valspar Championship, which Hovland won, Knight revealed that he and the Norwegian chat about conspiracy theories and other subjects regarding potential alien life when out on the course in order to keep things light.”
That level of ease helped Viktor Hovland earn 11 professional wins, including the 2023 The Memorial Tournament, the 2023 BMW Championship, and the 2023 PGA Tour FedEx Cup. Likewise, the Oklahoma State alum has a top 10 finish in all four major golf competitions.
2. Rickie Fowler’s Former Caddie Linked Knight to Hovland
Hovland was in search of a full-time caddie when he turned professional in 2019. That’s when Joe Skovron, Rickie Fowler’s former caddie, called Knight and offered the role to shadow Hovland. The two initially met during the 2018 Mayakoba Golf Classic and became a golf tandem starting in the 2019 Travelers Championship.
They’ve been together since, thanks to the link between two former Oklahoma State golfers. Before Hovland, Knight caddied for DJ Trahan, Martin Laird, and Matt Jones, among others. To date, Knight has assisted Viktor Hovland in seven PGA Tour victories, two European Tour wins, six runner-up finishes, and six third-place results in 128 events.
3. Knight Enjoys the Great Outdoors
Being a caddie puts Knight on the golf course for most of the year, making him cherish some moments like playing at Cypress Point or walking across Hogan’s Bridge at Augusta National.
However, if he did not caddie for golfers like Viktor Hovland, he still sees himself relishing the outdoors. In a 2022 interview with GolfWrx’s Andrew Tursky, Shay Knight said, “I love being outside. I did a landscape gardening course back in Australia, which I loved. I loved the design aspect as well, so I think if I wasn’t caddying, I’d probably get back into that.”
4. Shay Knight Loves the NFL
In the same interview with Tursky, Knight revealed, “I love the NFL. I’m a Packers fan, and I love Aaron Rodgers. I love the way he plays the game. Matt (Jones) and I played the Pro-Am with him at Pebble Beach back in the day. He was such a nice guy. I’ve been a fan of him ever since.”
Rodgers has moved on to the Pittsburgh Steelers, his third team in the last four seasons. Meanwhile, Knight did enjoy Australian rugby league but couldn’t keep up because of his work with Viktor Hovland and staying in the United States since 2007.
5. Old Sandwich is Knight’s Favorite Course
As Tremlett wrote, Shay Knight enjoys playing at the Old Sandwich Golf Club in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore-designed course opened for play in 2004 and ranks 73rd in Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses.
The par-71 course has a total yardage ranging from 5400 (front) to 6908 (back). The slope rating ranges from 132 to 146, while the course rating varies from 69.6 (intermediate) to 74.6 (back).
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Shay Knight, Viktor Hovland’s Caddie: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know appeared first on Heavy Sports.