A Rollercoaster Year for Viktor Hovland
The year 2023 has been anything but ordinary for Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland. From early struggles to a triumphant finish, Hovland's journey encapsulates the highs and lows that sport often brings. His season culminated with a spectacular run in the FedEx Cup Playoffs and a notable performance at the Ryder Cup.
FedEx Cup Playoffs Triumph
Hovland's most striking achievements came during the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Entering the St. Jude Championship ranked a lowly 57th in the FedEx Cup standings, few could have predicted the turnaround that was about to unfold. The Norwegian golfer completed three consecutive under-par rounds at the St. Jude Championship, laying the foundation for what was to come.
Continuing his impressive form, Hovland delivered a jaw-dropping final-round 61 at the BMW Championship outside Chicago. This remarkable feat set the stage for his ultimate victory at the Tour Championship in Atlanta, where he clinched the FedEx Cup Playoffs title. His postseason scoring average of 66.17 was a testament to his consistent excellence during this period.
Ryder Cup Brilliance
The Ryder Cup in the fall further showcased Hovland's form. His sensational performance at the prestigious event added another feather to his cap, proving that his success in the FedEx Cup Playoffs was no fluke.
Challenges Along the Way
However, Hovland's 2023 season was not without its challenges. His strokes gained approach numbers fell to +0.46 per round, a metric that reveals a drop in his iron play precision. He also ranked an alarming 175th out of 176 players on the PGA Tour in strokes gained around the green, highlighting significant struggles in his short game. Over the season, he marked only one top-10 finish and recorded the worst total strokes gained output of his career.
Reflecting on these difficulties, Hovland shared, "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."
Hovland's efforts to modify his swing during the offseason bore mixed results. He explained, "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."
Perhaps the most telling aspect of Hovland's journey was the mental toll these challenges took. "It's just not that fun to play golf when you don't know where the ball is going," he admitted. "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."
Searching for Consistency
Despite the setbacks, Hovland remains optimistic about his future. "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 stated. "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."
Viktor Hovland's 2023 season may have started with struggles and uncertainties, but it ended with incredible achievements and invaluable lessons. His journey through the year stands as a compelling narrative of perseverance, adaptation, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.