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What It’s Like to Tee Off Alongside Viktor Hovland

Dan Evans recaps a memorable experience playing golf with Viktor Hovland at the pro-am during the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Dan Evans|
Dan Evans played a pro-am with Viktor Hovland last week.
Dan Evans played a pro-am with Viktor Hovland last week. | Dan Evans

The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill is one of the most iconic events of the PGA Tour season. Last week it lived up to the billing once again, when Akshay Bhatia beat Daniel Berger in a playoff. The week also included a special opportunity for our show.

For the 2026 edition, I was invited to play in the Pro-Am on the Wednesday before the tournament.

On Tuesday night, all of the Pro-Am competitors get together for finger foods, and they are assigned who they will be playing with on Wednesday. But the player selection isn’t random or first-come first-serve. They have something much more fun in place to set up the teams.

It’s a draft.

Out of the 50+ groups of amateurs, each one is selected by random draw and has 30 seconds to select their pro partner for Wednesday morning. If you don’t pick in your allotted time, you go to the back of the line.

Luckily for me, my number 16 was selected fairly early on, and I opted for a 7:10 a.m. tee time at Bay Hill alongside Viktor Hovland.

Hovland was just a fantastic pro-am partner. He brought good vibes, smooth golf swings and conversation with us amateurs like they were playing a muni round for fun.

When the round was over, everybody got a chance to relax before the Pro-Am Gala that night. At a bar in Orlando, the winners of the Pro-Am were announced, and it was all capped off by a private performance from country artist Darius Rucker.

To hear what it’s like to play with a PGA Tour pro, and find out how my group placed in the tournament, watch this week’s episode of the Dan Evans Show. And catch up with all of our past episodes at our home on SI Golf.

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Dan Evans
DAN EVANS

Dan Evans, a powerhouse golf content creator on Instagram and TikTok, boasts a rich and diverse background that fuels his current success. Known for his inspiring weight loss journey on The Biggest Loser, successful career as a top ten recording artist, national spokesperson and event host for the Biggest Loser RunWalk 5k and half marathon race series, and his love for cooking, which led him to earn a culinary degree and create and host his own cooking show, Dan has rapidly emerged as a beloved figure in the golf community. Harnessing his diverse background and experiences, he has channeled his passion for golf into compelling content that reaches millions. With over 100 million views, his unique and engaging personality, coupled with his exceptional storytelling style, resonates with golf fans worldwide. As Dan continues to captivate and connect with a growing audience on a weekly basis, he solidifies his place as an influential figure within the golf community and beyond, proving that his love for the sport knows no bounds.

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