With over ten years covering men's professional golf on the PGA Tour, I have seen many ups and downs in players' careers. However, few have risen as quickly or fallen as hard as Norwegian star Viktor Hovland in the past year. Coming off a breakout season that saw him win three tournaments including the Tour Championship, Hovland entered 2024 as one of the hottest players on tour. But things have gone sideways for the 26-year-old ever since.
In an unusually candid press conference ahead of this week's FedEx St. Jude Championship, Hovland pulled no punches about his ongoing struggles. "Yeah, hasn’t been my best year. Struggled for basically the whole year. It’s been a little bit challenging," Hovland told reporters. When asked about his solid performances at the recent Olympics, Hovland was quick to point out that his ball striking was still lacking and he simply "made a lot of putts" that week.
“Yeah, not really,” Hovland said. “That was kind of just a weekend where I just made a few putts. I missed on the right sides and I was able to score well. The first couple rounds [when he shot 70 and 75] I about hit it the same, but that golf course is very penal off the tee, and into the greens, it really penalizes the bad shots. But if you’re playing well, you can shoot low.
“I just missed it in the wrong spots because I didn’t have that much control over the ball flight. So the second round I was just at the mercy of the randomness of where my ball was going. Then over the weekend, I made a lot of putts and just was able to score well. That’s always nice, but the quality of the shots were not there. I was still a little upset with that.”
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Viktor Hovland was refreshingly candid in discussing his struggles, providing insight into his mindset over the past year. While his scores at the Olympics, 67-68 on the weekend, seemed solid, Hovland was quick to point out that he didn't feel in control of his ball flight.
According to Hovland, the punishing course layout at Le Golf National meant even scrambled rounds could yield low scores. But he wasn't pleased with the quality of his strikes. Hovland acknowledged simply getting through the weekend on putts alone.
Just over a year ago, he was dominating the PGA Tour with multiple wins. But his breakup with coach Joe Mayo coincided with a shift in results. Hovland seems aware golf's mental warfare contributed - "I mean, it’s just not that fun to play golf when you don’t know where the ball is going."
Viktor Hovland demonstrated strong self-awareness and maturity in his assessment of the mental challenge this season. He acknowledged reaching a point where grinding out results felt counterproductive compared to dedicated practice. This shows wisdom beyond his 26 years.
In technical terms, Hovland offered instructive insight for amateur players. He candidly shared that an offseason change to create more cuts, while well-intentioned, disrupted the "relationship" between his body parts that allows for consistent face control. This type of specific biomechanical detail is rare to hear from tour pros.
By reuniting with coach Joe Mayo and collecting data, Hovland appears empowered rather than deflated. There is a plan and understanding in place. While short-term results vary, staying "on a path to improvement" is the right long-term mindset. Hovland's positivity bodes well, and having "all the data and facts on the table" should help him make swift progress.
“Basically my pattern got off,” Hovland said. “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. My ball flight started to become a little bit of a draw, which is fine. I was still hitting it good. But sometimes visually I would have liked to have seen the cut.
“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.”
Some of that joviality cracked through in those answers, didn’t it? Some positivity.
Read more: 39-Year-Old Jimmy Ellis Shoots Record Round of 61 to Claim Medalist Honors at 2024 U.S. Amateur
The FedEx St. Jude field is deep, but don't be surprised if this transparent self-assessment and tireless work with Mayo translates to better golf from Hovland sooner than later. His jovial perseverance amid the lows sets an example well worth following.
As Viktor Hovland reminisced about his resilient performance at last year's FedEx St. Jude, one gets the sense he's drawing inspiration from that week. After grinding with coach Joe Mayo on the range following an opening 72, Hovland surged to victory the following week.
His comments indicate a mature, methodical focus on controlling only what's within his control - diligent practice and technical work. Hovland seems realistic about the slips in his game this season but confident in his ability if able to "get back to where he was".
“I’m just trying to control the things that I can control,” Hovland said. “I know that I’ve slipped up a little bit this year. I haven’t been playing as well as I would have liked. I’m just working on the things that I need to work on to get back to where I was last year. Then I believe I can do some great things again.
Throughout our discussion, what stood out is Hovland's clear self-awareness of past success and current obstacles. By prioritizing process over immediate results, with patience and guidance from Mayo, there's optimism Hovland can rediscover his championship caliber play.
As defending champion this week, the memories of his comeback victory may further motivate Hovland's quest for answers. If anyone seems primed to handle the ups and downs, it's this thoughtful Norwegian star. Fans should expect him to be a strong contender if continuing to "take care of [his] stuff".
