2023 has proven to be a pivotal year for Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland, a year marked by incredible highs and some notable struggles. The journey has taken the 26-year-old through the peaks of championship victories and the troughs of technical challenges, making it a memorable rollercoaster ride.
Early in the season, Hovland's performance was inconsistent. At one point, he ranked 57th in the FedEx Cup standings, a far cry from the top-tier rankings he's known for. It was clear that technical issues were hampering his game, and Hovland himself acknowledged the struggles, stating, "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."
Attempting to correct this, Hovland made some swing adjustments during the offseason. However, the changes proved counterproductive, affecting his swings' consistency. "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," he explained. This period of technical difficulties saw him ranked 175th out of 176 players on the PGA Tour in strokes gained around the green while having one of the worst total strokes gained outputs of his career.
Despite these challenges, Hovland displayed remarkable resilience. By the time he entered the St. Jude Championship, he had begun to find his rhythm again. He completed three consecutive under-par rounds at the event. These performances laid the groundwork for his stunning victory at the FedEx Cup Playoffs, culminating in a final-round 61 at the BMW Championship outside Chicago.
Atlanta's Tour Championship was another feather in Hovland's cap. His postseason scoring average of 66.17 showcased his renewed form, confirming that he was back near his best. The crowning moment of his season, however, was a sensational performance at the Ryder Cup in the fall, where he played a crucial role for Team Europe.
Looking back at his journey, Hovland reflects on the mental toll of his struggles. "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," he shared. The uncertainty took a toll on his mental game, making it challenging to maintain confidence during tournaments. "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."
Hovland's determination is unwavering, and he believes he is now on the right track for consistent improvement. "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 said. This mindset shift has provided him with renewed focus and optimism for the future. "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."
Indeed, Viktor Hovland's 2023 season is a testament to the resilience and skill that define top-tier athletes. Despite the early struggles and technical challenges, his comeback in the latter part of the season has been nothing short of remarkable. As he continues to refine his game, fans and critics alike will watch with anticipation to see how this talented golfer evolves in the coming seasons.