2023 has been a tumultuous year for Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland, a year marked by both triumph and challenges. Emerging victoriously in several high-profile tournaments, Hovland managed to clinch the FedEx Cup Playoffs title and secure wins at the Tour Championship in Atlanta as well as the BMW Championship outside Chicago, where he posted a jaw-dropping final-round score of 61. These accolades were bolstered by his impressive postseason scoring average of 66.17.
However, the journey was anything but straightforward for Hovland. Entering the St. Jude Championship ranked 57th in the FedEx Cup standings, he defied expectations by completing three consecutive under-par rounds. Yet his season was also defined by periods of struggle, with his strokes gained approach numbers dipping to +0.46 per round and a grim ranking of 175th out of 176 players on the PGA Tour in strokes gained around the green. Despite these challenges, his resilience shined through, culminating in a sensational performance at the Ryder Cup in the fall.
Adjusting His Swing
Reflecting on his swing adjustments, 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."
Through the offseason, Hovland embarked on a journey to fine-tune his technique. He confessed, "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 Rollercoaster of Results
Interestingly, Hovland’s single top-10 finish this season paints a picture of a golfer grappling with form. He noted, "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."
Path to Improvement
Despite the ups and downs, Hovland remains optimistic about his path forward. He articulated, "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."
Hovland's season, though plagued by inconsistencies and the worst total strokes gained output of his career, showcases his unwavering determination and commitment to improvement. His narrative speaks to a golfer who, despite facing setbacks, has managed to marry data-driven insights with an unyielding spirit, forging a path towards a promising future in golf.