Viktor Hovland defeated Scottie Scheffler in a one-hole playoff Monday morning to win the Travelers Championship for his eighth career PGA Tour victory.
Notably, six of Hovland’s seven prior wins came with his trusty Ping G425 LST driver, but Hovland seems to have finally retired that driver. Earlier this month at the RBC Canadian Open, Hovland brought only one driver to the event and it was a new Ping G440 LST.
Hovland and Ping have tried multiple times over the past two seasons to break into either the 440 LST or the G440 K, but Hovland kept returning to the safety net of the 425.
Finally, during the Truist Championship and PGA Championship, Hovland and Ping worked on a new 440 LST build with the new Fujikura Ventus TR Black shaft with VeloCore+. Hovland and Ping’s Kenton Oates saw the LST get to Hovland’s preferred start-line.
Hovland finally became comfortable at home during his three weeks off between the PGA and U.S. Open. A big factor was the TR Black+‘s stiffer mid-section, more like the Speeder 757 shaft he plays in his 425.
“As he tightened his swing up a little bit, to me it felt like it was just coming out of the proper start-line every time,” Oates told GOLF that week. “TR Black Plus was a home run on paper right away because it should have dropped his spin, and it should give him a better feel.”
The rest of Hovland’s bag is pretty similar to what he’s played his whole career. He’s still in the Ping i210 irons and using a Ping Glide 2.0 lob wedge, despite upgrading to the S259 sand and gap wedges.
“I think they (Ping) make phenomenal wedges, and the 56° and 50°, they just immediately go in the bag as soon as they come out with something new,” Hovland said at the WM Phoenix Open earlier this year. “It’s just the 60°. I’m still working a little bit with my technique, and that still has to get a little bit better.
“I do like in the old Glide 2.0 that the face is a little bit squarer and just how the heel is a little bit smaller, the sole is just a little bit smaller. And it’s just a feel thing, because when I try to compare the two, it’s very similar.”
For more on Hovland’s detailed setup, keep reading below.
Viktor Hovland’s winning clubs at the 2026 Travelers Championship
Driver: Ping G440 LST 9.0°
Actual Loft: 7.6˚
Trajectory 2.0 Sleeve: Flat Standard
CG Shifter: 29g neutral
Hot Melt: 5g forward
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black with VeloCore+ 7-X
Length: 45.75″ EOG
Tipping: 1″
Swingweight: D5+
PING G440 LST Custom Driver
The G440 driver family (MAX, LST, SFT) is optimized to deliver more ball speed through multiple advancements, including PING’s deepest CG in a driver to date and a shallower, thinner face, while continuing to ensure the game-changing forgiveness expected from a PING driver. The G440 LST (Low Spin) design appeals to players with faster swing speeds, providing lower spin and more control in 9° and 10.5° lofts with the three-position back weight.
HIGHLY FORGIVING
Lighter head weight allows for heavier back weight.
FASTER FACE
Shallow, thinner, face increases ball speed for more distance, higher launch.
SOUND DESIGN
New shaping, carbon crown and internal ribs produce muted impact experience.
FREE-HOSEL DESIGN
Saves weight to lower CG, increase forgiveness. Allows for more heel-side face flexing for consistent ball speed across face.
View Product
ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore
Fujikura 2026 Ventus TR Black Wood Shaft (Velocore+)
Built for speed and control, the Fujikura VENTUS TR Black Shaft is engineered for players who generate powerful swings and demand maximum stability through impact.
The shaft is powered by VeloCore+ technology, Fujikura’s advanced multi-material core structure designed to reduce twist and increase energy transfer throughout the swing. The result is a more stable delivery that helps aggressive players maintain tighter dispersion and consistent ball speed.
View Product
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 15˚
FCT Setting: Standard
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue OG 7-X
TaylorMade Qi35 Custom Fairway Wood
View Product
3-Hybrid: Ping G440 20˚
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI-85 Hybrid X
Length: 40.25″
Swingweight: D1+
PING G440 Custom Hybrid
The G440 hybrids appeal to a variety of skill levels, each engineered to deliver different ball- flight characteristics – from the slightly fade-biased 2 hybrid for off-the-tee performance to the draw-inducing 5, 6 and 7 hybrids that help optimize gapping. They all share a new, shallower and thinner face design, which improves face contact for more ball speed and higher-launching shots that hit and hold the green.
FLIES HIGH LANDS SOFT
Optimized launch and spin ensure distance with stopping power.
FREE-HOSEL DESIGN
Saves weight to lower CG, optimize launch/spin and increase forgiveness.
ROUNDED SOLE
Ensures pleasing face angle in all hosel settings
CARBONFLY WRAP
Lightweight carbon crown saves weight to increase MOI, lower CG.
View Product
Irons: Ping i210 4-PW
Length: -.25″ (36.75″ 7-iron)
Lie: 1.5˚ flat (60.5˚ 7-iron)
Loft Progression: 23/26.5/30/33.5/37.5/41.5/45.5
Shafts: KBS Tour-V 120 X
Swingweight: D2
PING i240 Custom Irons
The Tour-inspired i240 advances our popular Players technology, providing added forgiveness along with the control, look and feel that will appeal to a wide range of skill levels. It’s PING’s highest-launching Players model, giving golfers more control and the ability to consistently hit their distance numbers and stop the ball close to the hole.
A new ABS badge in the true cavity-back design is 8.5g lighter, and combined with an elastomer insert allows for more perimeter weighting to increase the MOI in the mid and long irons. This helps achieve an 11% reduction in dispersion. The badge and insert contribute to a more desirable sound and a softer, responsive feel from the 431 stainless steel cast head.
View Product
Wedges: Ping S259 (50-56), Ping Glide 2.0 (60)
Lofts/Grinds: 50/S, 56/S @ 55˚, 60/TS
Lengths: 35.25″/35″/34.75″
Lies: 62/62.5/62.5
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Swingweight: D4
PING s259 Custom Wedge
View Product
Putter: Ping PLD Milled DS72
Hosel: Double Bend
Length: 37″
Loft: 2˚
Lie: 67˚
Finish: Patina
Grip: Winn 17″ AVS Red
PING Scottsdale DS72 Custom Putter
The Scottsdale family combines a one-piece face insert with a big jump in forgiveness across model styles and stroke types to fit every golfer and elevate performance on the greens. The lightweight PEBAX insert creates discretionary weight used to increase MOI while ensuring a soft feel, a pleasing sound, and consistent ball speeds.
The Tour-inspired DS72 has a ball-width PEBAX face insert that matches the ball-width cavity to make aiming easier. The back cavity has perpendicular visual cues and a contrasting alignment line to create visual balance in this model that assists a straight stroke.
View Product
Grip: Golf Pride MCC
If you buy a linked product,
GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.
Golf Pride MCC Swing Grip
MCC Swing Grip The MCC (New Decade MultiCompound) is an innovative hybrid grip that fuses the positive performance of rubber and cord. The MCC boasts the Golf Pride® exclusive Brushed Cotton Cord in the upper hand area for firm all-weather control, and a performance rubber material in the lower hand for ultimate feel and responsiveness. LARGER LOWER HAND The larger outside diameter simulates the feel of building up the grip with four extra wraps. This reduced taper encourages lighter grip pressure, promoting less tension in the hands and creating more fluidity and power throughout the swing. ALL-WEATHER CONTROL Our exclusive Brushed Cotton Cord fuses moisture-wicking cotton fibers into a new soft rubber material for added stability in any condition. MAXIMUM SURFACE TEXTURE Engineered for softer feel and strategically placed for high traction. A soft micro-texture increases traction and comfort, while texture placement is ideal for maximum hand coverage. Specifications: Grip Size: Standard, Midsize Cord Size: 60 Round
View Product
Ball: 2021 Titleist Pro V1
Titleist Pro V1 2025 Personalized Golf Balls
h2>THE GREATEST COMBINATION OF SPEED, SPIN AND FEEL For players who prioritize total performance. New faster high gradient core Speed amplifying high-flex casing layer Spherically-tiled 388 tetrahedral dimple design Soft cast urethane elastomer cover Product Features New faster high gradient core delivers more speed and iron and wedge spin for more control Low long game spin from a speed amplifying high-flex casing layer Penetrating and consistent flight from a spherically-tiled 388 tetrahedral dimple design Excellent greenside spin from a soft cast urethane elastomer cover Player Benefits Extraordinary Distance Increased Drop-and-Stop™ control Very low long game spin Penetrating trajectory Consistent flight Very soft feel What’s New – (what performance attributes have improved) 2025 Pro V1 and Pro V1x produce more speed off the tee, more control with irons, more spin with wedges and more opportunity to shoot lower scores. Player Profile For players who prioritize total performance. Available Colors and Play Numbers White golf balls are available with play numbers 1-4, 5-8, and all the same play number 00 or 1- 99. High optic yellow golf balls are available with play numbers 1-4. Not available for purchase or shipment to Australia.
View Product
Want to overhaul your bag for 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.
<figure class="youtube-facade" data-content="
“>
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: golf.com



