Viktor Hovland's Stellar 2023 Season: A Journey of Triumphs and Trials
2023 has been a rollercoaster year for Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland, highlighted by significant highs and inspiring comebacks. The young golfer clinched the FedEx Cup Playoffs title, a crowning achievement symbolizing his dominance on the greens.
Hovland's victory in the FedEx Cup Playoffs culminated from a string of remarkable performances. Highlighting his stature in the sport, he completed three consecutive under-par rounds to finalize his success at the St. Jude Championship. Continuing his extraordinary form, he stunned the crowd at the BMW Championship outside Chicago with a spectacular final-round 61, including a back-nine 28. His consistency and prowess were further evident as he secured the Tour Championship in Atlanta, ultimately achieving the prestigious season-long crown.
This outstanding season showcased Hovland's skill, as evidenced by his postseason scoring average of 66.17. Yet, it wasn't just the regular matches where he shone. Hovland’s sensational performance at the Ryder Cup in the fall underscored his talent on international platforms.
However, Hovland's journey hasn’t been without its challenges. Entering the St. Jude Championship, he was ranked 57th in the FedEx Cup standings, putting him just outside the top 50 needed to qualify for the following week's BMW Championship. This ranking underscores the competitive nature of professional golf and the fine margins that distinguish the players.
Adding to the complexities, Lucas Glover's absence from the week’s tournament was notable, further altering the dynamics of competition. Amidst such rivalries, Hovland's struggles with his approach performance surfaced. His strokes gained approach numbers fell to +0.46 per round, illustrating a drop in his consistency. More troubling was his standing in strokes gained around the green, where he shockingly ranked 175th out of 176 players on the PGA Tour.
Such statistics were particularly stark given Hovland's past form, marking a season where he had just one top-10 finish and the worst total strokes gained output of his career. Reflecting on this downturn, Hovland spoke candidly about his swing adjustments and the impact it had on 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.
"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."
Hovland's candidness extends to the mental challenges he faced on the course. "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."
Despite the setbacks, Hovland remains optimistic about his trajectory. "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."
Despite the ups and downs, the 2023 season remains a testament to Viktor Hovland's resilience and skill. As he navigates the peaks and valleys of his career, his dedication to improvement and his impressive track record promise continued excitement for fans and opponents alike.