Viktor Hovland had such little belief in his swing that he considered not featuring at the Valspar Championship, only to end an “unbelievable” week with a first PGA Tour title in over 18 months.
Hovland was golf’s newest superstar in 2023, winning the last two events of the PGA Tour season – to claim FedExCup victory – ahead of a key role in Europe’s Ryder Cup success, before experiencing a sharp decline in his game since.
The Norwegian switched swing coaches multiple times during that spell and went eight months without making a 36-hole cut against a full field, including at The Players after carding an opening-round 80.
Hovland’s late decision to tee it up at the Innisbrook Golf Resort was rewarded with an unexpected success, where a final-round 67 saw him snatch a one-shot win over Justin Thomas and claim a first PGA Tour victory since the 2023 Tour Championship.
Hovland posted rounds of 70, 67, 69 and 67 to claim Valspar Championship victory
“I entered last week and wasn’t really sure if I was going to play or not until I got here Tuesday afternoon and played a late nine holes,” Hovland admitted after his victory.
“I played nine holes in the pro-am the next morning and we were here ready to go. Yeah, wasn’t sure I was going to show up, but I’m glad I did.
“It feels unbelievable. It’s been quite the struggle the past year and a half, so for me to come back and win this tournament is quite incredible because I was not very hopeful with my game leading into this week. Just goes to show this game is pretty crazy.”
He reverted to former coach Grant Waite after his early exit from The Players, a man Hovland said was “one of the few guys that can solve” his swing issues, with the switch bringing immediate victory on his PGA Tour return.
Just making it through to the weekend ended a run of three consecutive missed cuts for Hovland, who admitted after his second round that he was still hitting “a lot of bad shots” and not always sure the direction his ball was going.
Speaking ahead of January’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Hovland said his golf game was ‘headed in the right direction’
Hovland’s ball-striking brilliance and short game skills still lack consistency, leaving him considerably down the PGA Tour’s statistics compared to previous seasons, with the 27-year-old surprised by his ability to close out his seventh PGA Tour title.
“It’s still the same swing,” Hovland told Golf Channel after his win. “I hit a lot of disgusting shots, but they just happen to go where I look.”
He later added: “I’m still hitting the same shots that I have been the whole year, it’s just I was able to time it extremely well this week. It felt like every single good shot that I hit I just saved it really well.
“The club is just not in a great place for me coming down. It’s not what it used to be. I can’t really rely on my old feels anymore because the club is in a different spot and I have to change my release pattern to make that work.
Hovland carded three birdies and a bogey in the last five holes of his Valspar Championship win
“Incredibly, I did make it work and was able to win and I think that is something that I’m extremely proud of – that I can show up at a PGA Tour event – at one of the hardest golf courses we play all year – and still win with not my best stuff.”
‘Work to do’ still ahead of The Masters
The victory lifts Hovland back to world No 8, having been on the verge of dropping out of the world’s top 20 for the first time since 2020, while a fifth different European winner of the PGA Tour season will be a welcome boost to Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.
Hovland claimed the first point in the Sunday singles during Europe’s 2023 Ryder Cup victory over Team USA in Rome
Hovland will look to improve on last season’s disappointing major campaign, where he missed the cut in three of the four, although admits work is still required for him to be able to challenge for victory at The Masters next month.
“It’s going to make it really difficult for me to be in contention at Augusta if I don’t rectify that problem, if I don’t see the improvements there [in his swing],” Hovland conceded.
“It’s just a different golf course [to Valspar Championship]. You’re going to hit so many long irons into par-fours and you’ve got to drive it pretty far because the fairways are pretty wide. It’s more of a bomber’s paradise versus this place [where] it’s more just about being precise off the tee.
“There’s still some things that I need to improve, but luckily we got two weeks and this is certainly nice to have in the back of my mind leading up to Augusta.”
Can Viktor Hovland claim a maiden major title at The Masters? Watch all four rounds from April 10-13 exclusively live on Sky Sports.
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