2023 has been nothing short of dramatic for Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland. The past year saw him swinging between highs and lows, clinching significant victories yet grappling with technical upheavals in his game. The journey detailed below highlights the peaks and valleys of a tumultuous yet memorable season for Hovland.
Unexpected Triumphs
From the onset, Hovland demonstrated his prowess by seizing the FedEx Cup Playoffs title. Achieving three consecutive under-par rounds at the St. Jude Championship, he was unstoppable. His crowning achievement came with a spectacular final-round 61 at the BMW Championship outside Chicago, securing him a prominent position ahead of the season's climax.
Breaking Through in Atlanta
Hovland’s performance at the Tour Championship in Atlanta solidified his standing as a force to be reckoned with on the PGA Tour. His postseason scoring average of 66.17 underscored his consistency and skill. Yet, even with such prowess on display, the journey was far from straightforward.
Challenges and Setbacks
Entering the St. Jude Championship ranked 57th in the FedEx Cup standings, Hovland faced significant challenges. Despite his triumphs, his strokes gained approach numbers dipped to +0.46 per round, and he found himself ranked 175th out of 176 players in strokes gained around the green. With just one top-10 finish in the season, it was clear that Hovland had experienced his share of difficulties.
Hovland reflected on these struggles, saying, "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."
Technical Adjustments
These reflections led to conscious adjustments in his swing. "Then in the offseason I made a conscious effort to try to cut the ball more," Hovland continued, "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."
Despite these technical setbacks, Hovland's perseverance paid dividends, culminating in standout performances, most notably his sensational play at the Ryder Cup in the fall.
Mental Resilience
Beyond the physical adjustments, Hovland's journey speaks volumes about mental resilience. "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."
A Path to Improvement
There is a sense of optimism in Hovland's current approach. "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."
Viktor Hovland's 2023 season stands as a testament to his unyielding spirit and commitment to excellence. While there were undeniable low points, his capacity to learn and adapt presents a promising future. As he continues to refine his game, the golfing world watches with bated breath, anticipating more extraordinary performances from this resilient Norwegian star.