Viktor Hovland gets honest about his swing struggles on the PGA Tour- "I ruined the relationship that happens in my swing"
Viktor Hovland's 2024 campaign has been a stark contrast to his dominant 2023 season. While he captured three PGA Tour titles and clinched the FedEx Cup last year, his performances this season have seen him place inside the top 10 in only 13 events thus far.
At the pre-tournament press conference for the FedEx St. Jude Championship, a journalist asked Hovland to explain the reasons behind his slump. The Norwegian said that it has to do with a technical problem in his swing.
Here's a part of what Hovland said:
"In the off season, 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 added:
"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." [0:40 - 1:11]
The 26-year-old also revealed that the reason he wanted to adjust his swing was because, towards the end of the previous season, the ball was deviating from his desired trajectory. This prompted him to try and make adjustments, even though he was enjoying success.
In the off-season, Hovland also fired his coach, Joe Mayo. However, he went back to him before the PGA Championship in an attempt to fix his swing. As a result, he finished T3 at Valhalla, his only top-10 finish of the year.
Viktor Hovland: Season 2022-23 vs. Season 2024
A stark contrast emerges when comparing Viktor Hovland's dominant 2022–2023 season to his current form in 2024.
In the 2022–23 season, the final year of the extended regular schedule, Hovland played 23 tournaments and did not miss a single cut. He finished in the top-25 on 18 occasions, including nine top-10 placements. The highlights of the season were his three victories (The Memorial Tournament, BMW Championship and Tour Championship), which helped him win the FedEx Cup title.
His major championship performances were equally impressive, securing top-20 finishes in all four: a T7 at the Masters, a T2 at the PGA Championship, a 19th at the US Open, and a T13 at the Open Championship. To cap off the season, he clinched the unofficial Hero World Challenge title and was a pivotal member of the winning Ryder Cup team.
In contrast, Hovland has played in 13 PGA Tour events in 2024, with only one top-10 finish (T3 at the PGA Championship). He missed the cut in the other three major championships.
Hovland also represented Norway at the just-concluded Paris Olympics. There, he finished T30 with a score of 4 under, 15 shots behind gold medalist Scottie Scheffler.