Viktor Hovland withdraws from the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge just days after ‘almost pulling out’ of PGA Championship
Viktor Hovland has played sparingly over the last month or so, and he's going to have the weekend off after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Challenge. Hovland has had a rough go of late, and there have been reports of fatigue setting in. According to the golfer, he almost skipped out on last week's Major championship.
Via Golf Digest, the Norwegian golfer said about the PGA Championship:
“I was almost considering pulling out of this event because I wasn’t playing good at all. Things didn’t feel very good, and when they don’t feel good, it’s like, ‘What’s the point of playing?', I'd rather just go and work on it.”
The golfer laughed and remarked he probably shouldn't have said that, and added:
“When you’re playing bad, thoughts are racing and that’s just what you’re thinking. Obviously didn’t make the decision. Obviously decided to come here and play instead. I think it’s just kind of in the moment when you’re playing bad, you just wanna go home,” Hovland added.
Hovland did have a resurgent performance in the PGA Championship. For the first time in a while, he looked like the great golfer fans had grown accustomed to seeing. He was 18 under par and finished solo third.
The golfer entered the 18th hole at 19 under par, one shot from the lead which was held then by Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau. Hovland bogeyed that hole, leaving him unable to win.
Ultimately, it wouldn't have mattered if, just like DeChambeau, he had birdied to draw even. Schauffele calmly birdied the 18th later on himself, giving him a -21 score for the win.
Nevertheless, Hovland is sitting out this weekend despite the strong outing he had at Valhalla. He did not specify as to why he's sitting out, but given how tough things have been and his reported consideration of pulling out of the PGA Championship, it's not all that shocking.
Wesley Bryan will replace Viktor Hovland. Nick Dunlap also withdrew, with Ryan Fox replacing him. Finally, the only other field change came when Stephan Jaeger withdrew and Jorge Campillo stepped in.
Viktor Hovland's coaching change paid off at PGA Championship
Golf fans won't see if Viktor Hovland can carry his momentum forward at the Charles Schwab Challenge since he's not playing. However, the golfer seems to be back in form after re-hiring his old swing coach, Joe Mayo.
Things got pretty rough in 2024, as he missed the cut at the Masters Tournament and withdrew from the RBC Heritage immediately after. He believes his struggles all come down to his swing.
He said ahead of the Masters:
“I just felt like I got to basically the pinnacle of what my golf swing was able to do last year. When I keep looking back at my swings from 2020, 2021, I just really had more control of the golf ball, in my opinion,” Hovland said.
The return of his swing coach yielded a 24th-place finish at the Wells Fargo Championship and a third-place finish at the PGA Championship.