"Two majors sounds pretty good to me"- Viktor Hovland chooses Xander Schauffele's 2024 PGA season over Scottie Scheffler's
Viktor Hovland is presently at TPC Southwind for the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The Norwegian arrives as the defending FedEx Cup champion, but his situation is markedly different from last year's dominant performance.
During his pre-event press conference, he was asked about the brilliant 2024 seasons of Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele. A reporter asked Hovland which of the two players he thought had the more spectacular season. Here's how the Norwegian responded:
"Two majors, that sounds pretty nice to me," Viktor Hovland said.
As the FedEx Cup playoffs kick off, season-long analysis is underway. The debate over whether Scheffler or Schauffele enjoyed a superior season has captivated the golf world.
Scheffler played in 16 PGA Tour events with 14 top-10 finishes, six of which were wins (including a major). His other five titles were at the Players Championship and four of the season's eight Signature Events.
Additionally, Scheffler went to Paris as the leader of the U.S. Olympic team and the overwhelming favorite. True to form, the Texan clinched the gold medal at Le Golf National
Schauffele, on the other hand, has played 18 PGA Tour events, with 12 top-10s. He has only won two events, but both were major championships (the PGA Championship and The Open). He also finished in the top 10 in the other two majors.
The flamboyant, 2-time major champion entered the Olympics as the defending champion and nearly repeated his feat. A disappointing final round prevented a medal finish, but he still secured a top-10 placement.
How does Viktor Hovland get to the FedEx Cup playoffs?
Viktor Hovland's 2022-2023 season was the best of his career, highlighted by three tournament wins, including the Tour Championship, which earned him the FedEx Cup title.
However, the 2024 season has not been the same, to the point that Hovland is ranked 58th in the FedEx Cup rankings. The Norwegian needs an excellent result at Southwind to advance to the BMW Championship.
Hovland has played 13 PGA Tour events in 2024, with just one Top 10 finish (3rd place at the PGA Championship). His results include five other Top 25s, but he missed the cut in the other three major championships.
The Norwegian also represented his country at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he finished tied for 30th with a score of 4-under 280, 15 strokes behind Scheffler.
This will be Hovland's fifth appearance in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He has made the cut in all four previous attempts (the tournament was cut after 36 holes until 2022). His best finish is a T13 in 2023, with two previous Top 20s (T18 in 2020 and T20 in 2022).