The Triumphs and Struggles of Viktor Hovland in 2023

2023 has been a rollercoaster year for Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland, filled with remarkable highs and perplexing lows. The young golfer clinched the FedEx Cup Playoffs title, following an exceptional run that saw him deliver three consecutive under-par rounds at the St. Jude Championship and a final-round 61 at the BMW Championship outside Chicago.

Hovland’s triumphs did not stop there, as he went on to secure the Tour Championship in Atlanta, bolstered by a postseason scoring average of 66.17. His success was a testimony to his skill, resilience, and determination to excel at the highest levels of the sport.

However, the path to these victories was far from smooth. Entering the St. Jude Championship, Hovland was ranked a lowly 57th in the FedEx Cup standings, a position that belied his true potential. Moreover, his strokes gained approach numbers had plummeted to +0.46 per round, and he was ranked 175th out of 176 players on the PGA Tour in strokes gained around the green. With just one top-10 finish in the season, Hovland had the worst total strokes gained output of his career.

Reflecting on his struggles, Hovland opened up about the technical challenges he faced with his swing. “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 his quest for perfection, Hovland made a conscious effort during the offseason to cut the ball more. However, this decision inadvertently disrupted the crucial relationship in his swing, making it difficult for him to control the face coming down. He candidly admitted, “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.”

The frustration of not knowing where the ball would go was daunting for Hovland. “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 shared.

Despite these challenges, Hovland remained optimistic about his journey. “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,” he noted.

In the fall, Hovland's perseverance paid off with a sensational performance at the Ryder Cup. This achievement further cemented his status as one of the sport's rising stars, capable of bouncing back from adversity and proving his mettle on golf’s grandest stages.

Viktor Hovland’s 2023 season may have started with uncertainties and technical struggles, but it concluded with an inspiring narrative of resilience, improvement, and eventual triumph. His journey serves as a testament to the relentless pursuit of excellence that defines a true champion.