Who’s the best player without a major championship win as U.S. Open begins at Pinehurst?

Viktor Hovland calls Pinehurst No. 2 a “cool” golf course, which may be one of the few times that word is used this week.

And especially after Thursday, when the 124th U.S. Open Championship begins and the bogeys started flowing freely.

Hovland, ranked fifth in the world, also says it despite not being in his best form. It has been that kind of year for the talented, photogenic Norwegian, who many in golf circles consider one of the best players – if not the best – without a major championship.

Xander Schauffele unofficially held that “BPWM” designation until his victory this year in the PGA Championship in which Hovland, good golf form or not, played an unexpected role.

After missing the cut in the Masters, Hovland withdrew from the RBC Heritage event the next week. He then considered withdrawing from the PGA.

His game just wasn’t there. Neither, it appears, was his confidence.

“I was pretty miserable leaving the Masters,” he said Tuesday. “I think that’s just one of those things where you kind of have to hit whatever rock bottom is or at least feeling like you hit a pretty low point, because I think that’s when you pull yourself out of it.”

Hovland played the PGA. And after three rounds, he was two shots out of the lead before Schauffele won on Sunday with a final-round 65 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Hovland shot 66 in each of the last three rounds to close at 18 under par for the tournament, two shots behind.

“I actually had a chance to win a major championship without my best stuff,” Hovland said. “I just found a feel that was better, but I still didn’t feel comfortable all week.

“I’m just taking the positives out of that. Like, yes, you don’t get endless amounts of opportunities to win major championships, so obviously when you’re in the heat of the moment, you want to take advantage of those.”

Which brings us to this week and the U.S. Open at Pinehurst.

Hovland, 26, continues to tinker with his swing. He isn’t completely happy with his balance. He has been working on the range as he prepares for the Open, for dealing with No. 2.

“I just think it’s really a cool design,” he said Tuesday. “I think off the tee it’s fair. Off the tee there are some narrow fairways, but it’s generous enough, and if you hit it off-line you can potentially get penalized. There is some luck involved in missing the fairways here. Sometimes. you might have a good lie, and sometimes it’s just a hack-out.

But I think just visually it looks really cool off the tee. I’m just a big fan of greens that are raised up and rolls off on the sides. I think that’s kind of how golf courses should be designed. I just think it’s just the best way possible to design greens.”

That’s the way Donald Ross designed them eons ago, although the old master, who died in 1948 in Pinehurst, might not like trying to putt on those hump-backed greens this week. There’s slick and then there’s scary slick.

Defending champion Wyndham Clark called the greens “borderline” Monday – as in, borderline too fast. He did not use the word “unfair.”

“I think in some spots, some of the pin locations look a little bit suspect, so it’ll be interesting to see how it works out,” Hovland said. “But I just think it’s really cool. You’ve got to drive it well into the greens. It’s a very high value of hitting greens.

“Then with so much slope and how fast the greens are, you’ve got to really have some touch on the greens, as well.”

Hovland has performed well in big moments and big tournaments. A year ago, he contended in the PGA Championship – he ffinished two shots behind winner Brooks Koepka – and won the Memorial Tournament He then won the Tour Championship, which clinched the FedEx Cup and the $18 million bonus that comes with it.

To close out a big year, Hovland went 3-1-1 in the Ryder Cup matches in Rome as Europe easily beat the U.S. team.

This year?

“It hasn’t been quite as good as I’d like it to be,” Hovland said. “I know what I need to do. It’s just kind of finding the feel that accomplishes it in the best way possible.”

Best players without a major title

Victor Hovland, 26: Won the FedEx Cup last year on the PGA Tour. Norwegian has finished in the top four in three majors.

Tony Finau, 34: Utah native has won six times on PGA Tour and has 10 top-10 finishes in majors.

Tommy Fleetwood, 33: The Brit has eight top-10’s in majors, finishing second in the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 British Open. Tied for fifth in 2023 U.S. Open.

Patrick Cantlay, 32: Californian has won eight times on the PGA Tour, including 2021 Tour Championship, and has four top-10 finishes in majors.

Max Homa, 33: Another Californian, he has six career wins on the PGA Tour and was third in the 2024 Masters.