2023 has indeed proven to be a whirlwind year for Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland, presenting him with peaks and valleys that tested his mettle on the PGA Tour. The young golfer etched his name into the annals of golfing history with a series of remarkable performances, punctuated by an exhilarating triumph in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Yet, his journey to glory was peppered with significant challenges and moments of introspection.
Hovland’s season commenced with a mix of anticipation and uncertainty. Ranked 57th in the FedEx Cup standings as he entered the St. Jude Championship, he was hardly a favorite to lift the coveted trophy. However, he defied the odds with three consecutive under-par rounds, showcasing his prodigious talent and steely resolve.
His journey was characterized by sensational highs, none more impressive than his scorching final-round 61 at the BMW Championship outside Chicago. This phenomenal display of skill and mental fortitude propelled him into the spotlight, setting the stage for his eventual triumph at the Tour Championship in Atlanta. His postseason scoring average of 66.17 was a testament to his consistent excellence and commitment to perfection.
Hovland’s performance at the Ryder Cup in the fall further solidified his status as a burgeoning star in the golfing world. Yet, his path was not without its tribulations. The season was marred by a notable absence of top-10 finishes, as he garnered just one, and he recorded the worst total strokes gained output of his career. His struggles were epitomized by a staggering ranking of 175th out of 176 players on the PGA Tour in strokes gained around the green.
The crux of his difficulties lay in his strokes gained approach numbers, which had dwindled to +0.46 per round. Reflecting on his tumultuous season, Hovland revealed the underlying issues that plagued his game. “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.
In an effort to enhance his performance, Hovland made a conscious effort in the offseason to adjust his swing. However, this well-intentioned modification backfired. “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,” he noted. The result was a period of soul-searching and technical recalibration.
Hovland’s candid reflections laid bare the psychological toll that his struggles had inflicted upon him. “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,” he admitted.
Despite these struggles, Hovland retained a sense of optimism and determination. “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,” he asserted. “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.”
Hovland’s saga underscores the intricate relationship between technical prowess and mental fortitude in professional golf. His ability to navigate through the fluctuations of form and confidence speaks volumes about his resilience and potential. As the golfing world watches with bated breath, the coming seasons will reveal whether Hovland can harness his experiences and return to the pinnacle of his game.