2023 has been a transformative year for Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland. The young prodigy experienced both the highs and lows that the sport has to offer, from clinching significant titles to grappling with unexpected setbacks. This journey offers a vivid snapshot of the rollercoaster ride that athletes endure on their path to greatness.
Hovland's season began with impressive performances, culminating in his clinching of the coveted FedEx Cup Playoffs title. Demonstrating exceptional skill and endurance, Hovland managed three consecutive under-par rounds at the St. Jude Championship, which set the tone for a triumphant series of games. Notably, during the BMW Championship outside Chicago, he showcased his best form with a remarkable final-round 61, a performance that will be remembered for years to come. If that wasn't enough, his victory at the Tour Championship in Atlanta solidified his place amongst the elite, and his postseason scoring average of 66.17 was a testament to his consistent excellence.
However, the journey wasn't devoid of obstacles. Hovland entered the St. Jude Championship ranked 57th in the FedEx Cup standings, a position that belied his capabilities and potential. The absence of Lucas Glover from the tournament could have given him a breather, but it was his persistent focus and skill that saw him rise through the ranks. Despite these triumphs, underlying struggles were brewing.
Hovland had always been known for his formidable strokes gained approach numbers, but they dipped to +0.46 per round, and even more alarmingly, he ranked 175th out of 176 players on the PGA Tour in strokes gained around the green. Reflecting on this downturn, Hovland admitted, "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."
Hovland's attempts to refine his technique during the offseason led to unexpected complications. "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," he explained.
The mental toll of these challenges was also significant. Reflecting on his struggles, he shared, "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."
What stood out amidst these highs and lows was Hovland's unyielding resolve and optimism regarding his journey forward. "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 noted.
Viktor Hovland's 2023 journey is a poignant reminder of the complexities of professional sports. It encompasses moments of brilliance, struggles with performance, and the mental fortitude required to navigate through both. Whether he dominates the leaderboard or fights through slumps, Hovland's commitment to improvement and excellence remains unwavering. His narrative this year resonates deeply, underscoring that the path to success is rarely a straight line but is invariably worth the effort.