2023 has been a year of highs and lows for Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland, showcasing both his resilience and talent. Starting off with a series of challenges, Hovland's journey through the season has been nothing short of remarkable, culminating in a triumphant finish.
A Stunning Turnaround at the FedEx Cup Playoffs
Viktor Hovland began his FedEx Cup Playoffs at the 57th position in the standings. By the end of the season, he had clinched the FedEx Cup Playoffs title, a testament to his skill and determination. Hovland's performance was nothing short of spectacular as he completed three consecutive under-par rounds at the St. Jude Championship. His stellar play continued at the BMW Championship outside Chicago, where he posted an incredible final-round 61.
The Norwegian star's efforts paid off as he secured the Tour Championship in Atlanta, solidifying his place among the elite golfers of the season. His postseason scoring average stood at an impressive 66.17, highlighting his consistency and ability to perform under pressure.
Challenges and Triumphs
The journey wasn't smooth sailing throughout the season. Hovland faced significant challenges, particularly with his strokes gained statistics. Despite his overall success, his strokes gained approach numbers dropped to +0.46 per round, and he ranked 175th out of 176 players on the PGA Tour in strokes gained around the green. These numbers indicated areas where Hovland needed to improve, especially since he had just one top-10 finish throughout the season.
An introspective Hovland candidly shared his struggles: "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."
Despite these hurdles, Hovland displayed a commendable attitude towards his game. 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."
A Stellar Ryder Cup Performance
Despite the challenges, Hovland's performance at the Ryder Cup in the fall was nothing short of sensational. His contributions were critical, and his skill was on full display, reinforcing his reputation on the international stage.
Reflecting on his season, Hovland admitted, "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."
The Path to Improvement
Hovland's transparency about his struggles and his approach to overcome them provides insights into his mindset as a professional athlete. "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 said.
This season has indeed been a testament to Viktor Hovland's resilience and determination. Despite the ups and downs, he has managed to not only identify his weaknesses but also take concrete steps towards improvement. With such a mindset and ability to adapt, Hovland's future in golf looks promising, and fans will undoubtedly be eager to see what he accomplishes next.