Viktor Hovland receives huge boost after Ryder Cup 2025 eligibility eased
After a disappointing 2024 season, Norweigen golfer Viktor Hovland will reportedly give a miss to the rest of the events this year owing to an injury. While this could have hampered his prospects of qualifying for the 2025 Ryder Cup, his eligibility criteria has been eased giving him a fighting chance of competing at the tournament.
The DP World Tour has a rule that a player must play in at least four European circuit events to retain their card and stay eligible to qualify for the Ryder Cup. However, in the case of Viktor Hovland, a DP World Tour has confirmed that his obligation has been amended by Wentworth HQ due to medical reasons. So he still remains in contention to be selected for the 2025 Ryder Cup in Bethpage. Hovland was a key member in the European team last year picking up 3.5 points, as he played in every session of the biennial tournament.
Currently, the 27-year-old only has two DP World Tour starts under his belt so far this year at the Paris Olympics and the co-sanctioned Scottish Open in East Lothian. His European circuit counterparts and LIV Golf players Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm had appealed against their sanctions for playing in the conflicting events at LIV Golf, to take part in the European events and have a chance at qualifying for the 2025 Ryder Cup.
The 2025 Ryder Cup will be held at Bethpage Black in New York. The biennial clash between the US and European men's golfers will take place at the end of September next year.
A sub-par 2024 season for Viktor Hovland
Norweigen golfer Viktor Hovland has had a sub-par 2024 season. He missed the cuts at the Masters, US Open and the Open Championship and even considered giving a miss to the PGA Championship due to low confidence. However, Hovland had a brilliant performance at Valhalla with a third place finish.
While he returned to the FedEx Cup playoffs to defend his title this year, he pulled out of the BMW Championship ending all his plans to qualify and win the cup again at East Lake this year. Now due to an unspecified injury Viktor Hovland has decided to pull the curtain on his 2024 season which means he will be missing out on the DP World Tour season-ending playoffs.
The 27-year-old will not be seen in action in the Middle East for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and DP World Tour Championship, according to bunkered.co.uk. He will also not be fit to fight the Race to Dubai title in November this year.
After securing three wins in the 2023 season, Viktor Hovland will end this season empty-handed. However, he still remains in the top ten of the world rankings.