2023 has been a rollercoaster year for Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland, punctuated by a string of high and low points that have defined his season. Navigating the peaks and valleys with resilience, Hovland's journey through the FedEx Cup Playoffs to a standout performance at the Ryder Cup illustrates the complex terrain of professional golf.
The highs of Hovland's season are headlined by clinching the FedEx Cup Playoffs title, a feat underscored by his impressive performances at key tournaments. Starting with the St. Jude Championship, where he completed three consecutive under-par rounds, Hovland's gameplay displayed the precision and skill that fans and analysts alike have come to admire. His momentum carried him to the BMW Championship outside Chicago, where he achieved a dazzling final-round 61, a testament to his capacity for extraordinary shot-making under pressure. Capping off his tour triumphs, Hovland secured the Tour Championship in Atlanta, solidifying his status as one of the sport's elite players. His postseason scoring average stood at an incredible 66.17, reflecting consistent excellence during this pivotal stretch.
However, the year hasn't been without its challenges. Entering the St. Jude Championship, Hovland was ranked 57th in the FedEx Cup standings, a position that highlighted the struggles he had faced earlier in the season. Despite these hurdles, his postseason surge speaks to his tenacity and skill. A particularly sensational performance came at the Ryder Cup in the fall, where Hovland’s contributions were crucial to the event's outcome, further cementing his reputation as a stalwart competitor.
Yet, the path to these victories wasn't straightforward. Hovland's season also saw moments of difficulty, particularly in the technical aspects of his game. His strokes gained approach numbers dipped to +0.46 per round, and he ranked 175th out of 176 players on the PGA Tour in strokes gained around the green. With just one top-10 finish for the season and the worst total strokes gained output of his career, the contrast between his peaks and valleys became starkly evident.
Reflecting on his performance, Hovland was candid about the adjustments and challenges he faced. "The things that I did in my swing that made me good, that made me able to predict a certain ball flight, I went home and tried to do a certain move – not necessarily because I had in mind that I wanted to change my pattern. I knew my pattern was really good, but I was upset that I wasn't cutting the ball as much as I would have liked," he explained. This pursuit of perfection in his swing mechanics inadvertently led to complications. "Then in the offseason 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. 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. But at least I know I have all the data and the facts on the table to go about it."
The psychological toll of these struggles cannot be understated. Hovland's openness about the mental challenges he faced offers insight into the pressures top athletes endure. "It's just not that fun to play golf when you don't know where the ball is going," he noted. "I do pride myself in trying to make the best out of it, but it gets to a point where you kind of lose that belief – you just see a shot, and that's not good enough. I can try to grind my hardest. I can try to chip in from there. But you do that too often, too many times during the course of a round or a tournament, [and] it's too much to overcome. I feel like it's a waste of time for me to be playing golf if that's where I'm at; I'd rather be off the golf course and work on it, trying to figure out why I'm doing those things."
This season has been, in many ways, a learning experience for Hovland, one that reflects the continuous journey towards mastery in professional sports. "I'm not sure how long it's going to take for me to play my best golf. It might be this week. It might be next week. But at least now I'm on a path to progress. I'm on a path to improvement. Whereas before, one thing is playing bad, but you don't know why and you don't know how to fix it. That's very challenging mentally. But at least now we're – I might play terrible this week, but at least I feel like I'm on a path to improvement, and that's all that kind of matters for me."
As the year wraps up, Viktor Hovland's saga of triumphs and trials vividly illustrates the relentless pursuit of excellence in sport. His testament to perseverance, introspection, and ultimate skill could serve as a blueprint for upcoming athletes and a remarkable narrative for the sport's enthusiasts. Whether on or off the green, Hovland's quest for improvement stands as a compelling chapter in the annals of golf history.