Xander Schauffele at the 2025 Valspar Championship (Image: TenGolf/YouTube)
As the Masters at Augusta National approaches, the golfing world is abuzz with anticipation.
Viktor Hovland is riding high after his nail-biting victory over Justin Thomas at the Valspar Championship on Sunday. The Norwegian golfer managed to pull off a stunning performance when it mattered most, edging out Thomas for the top prize.
Just like he did at TPC Sawgrass the previous week, the Californian turned to the driving range for some comfort. While some professionals practice immediately after a tournament to fine-tune their game, Schauffele’s motivation was purely to release pent-up energy by hitting something hard.
“Sometimes you just want to get out and make a few free swings on the range, whether you snap hook it or blow it a hundred yards right, just to get them out of your system,” he told journalists on Sunday. “So last night was a bit of a frustration session – what am I going to go with today.”
In the thick of the title chase, the American found himself nestled near a pine tree’s base thanks to a wayward 3-iron. Undeterred, he ingeniously flipped his 9-iron to take a left-handed swing at his next shot.
