A Rollercoaster Year for Viktor Hovland
The year 2023 has seen Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland experience the highs and lows of professional golf with stunning success and intriguing challenges. As the season began, few could have predicted the incredible journey he would undergo, culminating in his triumphant clinching of the FedEx Cup Playoffs title.
Hovland's year was highlighted by a series of striking performances. It all started to come together during the St. Jude Championship, where he impressively completed three consecutive under-par rounds. This marked the beginning of a notable postseason run that saw him achieve an electrifying final-round 61 at the BMW Championship just outside Chicago. These efforts ultimately paved the way for his victory at the Tour Championship in Atlanta, securing his place at the top of the game.
His postseason scoring average, an impressive 66.17, speaks volumes about his form. Hovland also showcased his prowess at the Ryder Cup in the fall, delivering a sensational performance that turned heads and affirmed his status as one of the sport's elite players.
But Hovland's season was not without its challenges. Entering the St. Jude Championship ranked 57th in the FedEx Cup standings, he had to overcome significant odds to emerge victorious. Despite his success, data reveals that Hovland faced technical challenges in his game, particularly with his strokes gained approach numbers dropping to +0.46 per round and his ranking at a worrying 175th out of 176 players on the PGA Tour in strokes gained around the green.
Reflecting on his performance, Hovland candidly shared his thoughts on the difficulties encountered during the season. "The things that I did in my swing that made me good, that made me able to predict a certain ball flight, I went home and tried to do a certain move – not necessarily because I had in mind that I wanted to change my pattern. I knew my pattern was really good, but I was upset that I wasn't cutting the ball as much as I would have liked," he explained.
His offseason was a period of reflection and adjustment. "Then in the offseason, I made a conscious effort to try to cut the ball more, and when I did that, I ruined a relationship that happens in my swing that makes it really difficult for me to control the face coming down. So now it's just kind of me learning from that. I know exactly why it happened. I know exactly what happens because I've gotten myself measured, and now it's just kind of a process of getting back to where I was. But at least I know I have all the data and the facts on the table to go about it," he said.
Despite the challenges, Hovland's candid reflections show a golfer determined to understand and correct his shortcomings. "It's just not that fun to play golf when you don't know where the ball is going. I do pride myself in trying to make the best out of it, but it gets to a point where you kind of lose that belief – you just see a shot, and that's not good enough. I can try to grind my hardest. I can try to chip in from there. But you do that too often, too many times during the course of a round or a tournament, [and] it's too much to overcome. I feel like it's a waste of time for me to be playing golf if that's where I'm at; I'd rather be off the golf course and work on it, trying to figure out why I'm doing those things," Hovland admitted.
This process of reevaluation and improvement is ongoing for the young Norwegian. "I'm not sure how long it's going to take for me to play my best golf. It might be this week. It might be next week. But at least now I'm on a path to progress. I'm on a path to improvement. Whereas before, one thing is playing bad, but you don't know why and you don't know how to fix it. That's very challenging mentally. But at least now we're – I might play terrible this week, but at least I feel like I'm on a path to improvement, and that's all that kind of matters for me."
Indeed, even as Hovland celebrates his headline-grabbing achievements, his humility and dedication to refining his game remain at the forefront. With his remarkable talent and unwavering determination, Viktor Hovland continues to be a formidable force, one who understands that the journey to excellence is neither straightforward nor easy, but ultimately rewarding.