Viktor Hovland secures spot on 2023 Ryder Cup Europe Team
Viktor Hovland, the number five golfer in the world via OWGR, has officially qualified for the European side of the Ryder Cup for 2023. The Norwegian professional golfer has been excellent all season and will take his talents to Italy.
Hovland has been in top form recently, which is why he qualified. He earned three top-five finishes, including the BMW PGA Championship, which is the first qualifier for Team Europe. Viktor Hovland also successfully defended his title at the Hero World Challenge.
Since then, he has continued his run of excellent form. In a total of 17 starts worldwide, he has failed to make the cut in none of them. His best performance came when he finished in a tie for third at The Players Championship.
He's stood out amongst the best talent in the world at the majors this year, placing in the top 20 in The Masters, U.S. Open, and The Open. To top it all off, he was runner-up at the PGA Championship.
His ability to perform in the big spots, as evidenced by his major performances, will be vital to Europe's success against the United States. He joins Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy in already qualifying.
He's been one of the best golfers all year, as evidenced by his long list of top finishes this season. He earned a spot on the Ryder Cup thanks to that success, and he will likely be a vital player for them moving forward.
Viktor Hovland's Ryder Cup experience
The Norwegian golfer is set to join the Ryder Cup for the second straight time. He made his Ryder Cup debut on US soil in 2021 after qualifying thanks to the World Points system.
Along with Jon Rahm, he was the only other player to play in all five sessions for Team Europe during that season. Captain Luke Donald will hope to see similar consistency this time around.
Viktor Hovland took a defeat, partnering with Paul Casey in the foursomes. He followed that up by partnering with Tommy Fleetwood to earn a half-point against Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay on the same day.
Unfortunately, he suffered more defeats to Thomas and Jordan Spieth when playing with Bernd Wiesberger. He also lost to Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau when he rejoined Fleetwood later.
He ended it all by earning another half point over Collin Morikawa in singles, but it was not enough to stave off defeat for the Europeans.
This year, he'll play alongside Rahm and McIlroy, and most likely Fleetwood, Yannik Paul, Adrian Meronk, and potentially many others.
The European side is full of talent, and Hovland's inclusion ensures that they won't miss out on one of their best golfers.