“He’s definitely in route to win a major” – Fans back Viktor Hovland’s chip in on the first at the Ryder Cup as one of ‘best moments’ of 2023
During the Friday foursome match of this year's Ryder Cup, Viktor Hovland made an incredible chip that produced a big roar from the home crowd. It was referred to as one of the best shots of the year by many experts as well as fans.
Hovland birdied on the first hole of his foursome match after Aberg's approach shot helped the ball land just inside the green. Instead of going for the putt from there, he went for a chip and angled the ball towards the slope, from where the ball slowly went in the direction of the hole for a birdie. They went 1-up with the birdie and also ended up beating Max Homa and Brian Harman 4 and 3.
On Friday, December 23, Flushing It Golf, a popular golf tracking page on X (formerly called Twitter), shared Hovland's epic chip and termed it the best moment of this season. He wrote:
"What was your moment of the season? For me, this was right up there. It really encapsulated the progression Viktor has made with his career to a position where he now delivers in the big moments. A huge 2024 is in store"
Many fans in response echoed the sentiments. Here's a look at some of the replies:
"Yeah, he’s definitely in route to win a major now for sure with his game 🙌🏌🏻"
"Calling at least one major"
"The new Arnie Palmer"
"Such a stud"
"Pretty epic right here from Viktor and on the first hole in the Ryder Cup 🙌👌⛳️ Incredible to watch, and then he showed more great moments right after too, as I recall on the greens."
"that chip was so amazing."
"Boss move!!"
"This was sublime."
"Certainly set the tone for the Ryder Cup."
"That pin is one of the hardest on that green, an ounce stronger than off the front, perfect golf from Victor."
How did Viktor Hovland perform in the 2023 Ryder Cup?
This was Viktor Hovland's second appearance at the Ryder Cup. He entered the tournament after winning the FedEx Cup. He had already won three events on the PGA Tour, including two in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
The 25-year-old Norweigan played incredibly well over the three days at Marco Simone Golf Club. He played in five matches for the team and finished the event with an overall scoreline of 3-1-1. He contributed 3.5 points to Europe's 16.5–11.5 win over the US.
Hovnald is currently ranked 4th in the OWGR. He won the Memorial Tournament, the BMW Championship, and the Tour Championship this year. He also finished the season with total earnings of $32.1 million, which included a whopping $18 million bonus as the FedEx Cup champion.
Hovland was last seen at the Hero World Challenge, where he was a two-time defending champion. However, this time he finished tenth. He will begin his 2024 season with the Sentry, which will begin on January 4 at the Kapalua Plantation Course in Hawaii. Last time, he finished T18 after aggregating at 17 under.