Viktor Hovland stands at a curious crossroads in his career – no longer adrift, yet still searching for what once defined him.
The Norwegian golfer dominated the sport just two years ago, capturing the FedEx Cup at the Tour Championship and delivering a tour de force performance during Europe’s Ryder Cup victory in Rome. Last season, however, Hovland found himself struggling with fundamentals, his confidence so shaken that he withdrew from a signature event due to concerns about his ball-striking ability. Despite these challenges, Hovland managed a respectable campaign: he contended at the PGA Championship at Valhalla and qualified among the 30 players for the PGA Tour’s season finale at East Lake. Yet these accomplishments paled against his previous triumphs, raising questions about what was wrong, and if it could be fixed.
This season has offered glimpses of resurgence, most notably his victory in March at the Valspar Championship. Still, Hovland remains far from his peak form, currently 84th in strokes gained and 96th in off-the-tee performance – statistics that would have been unthinkable during his dominant run. Speaking candidly at Quail Hollow on Wednesday, Hovland acknowledged what the numbers suggest: his journey back to golf’s summit remains very much a work in progress.
“Yeah, there would definitely be some [surprise at contending] because I’m still not entirely happy with where I’m at,” Hovland said. “What I’m happy about is the progress that I’ve made since right before the Valspar, and even since the Valspar. I think I’m definitely trending in the right direction.
“But there’s still just some stuff left in there that just doesn’t allow me to play to the level that I want to play with, play at.”
It’s worth remembering that Hovland almost withdrew from last year’s PGA Championship because of his unhappiness with his game, deciding only to play because it was a major. Though he joked that he “probably shouldn’t have admitted that”, Hovland said it also was a lens into the depths of his frustrations.
“There’s some tournaments where – major championships, you don’t skip those events. But it gets to a point where like, man, it just doesn’t feel like you’re able to compete,” Hovland said. “And if you’re not able to compete, at least for me, I don’t want to be out there and play. I’m not trying to just grind to barely make the cut. That’s not fun.
“I’d rather spend that week to try to get better because to play your best golf, you can’t think about a bunch of mechanics. You have to go out there and let your unconscious swing just do what it’s supposed to do. But if that ball is going all over the place, that’s tough. I’d rather be at home and try to figure that out and then when I feel ready, I’ll play a tournament. That’s just kind of how my mind works.”
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Hovland’s self-criticism reveals the perfectionism that propelled him to become one of golf’s best. And last year’s display at Valhalla didn’t just earn him a near-miss at a major; it reignited a crucial spark of self-belief that had been flickering dangerously low. That renewed conviction has become his cornerstone as he prepares for Quail Hollow this week, where the punishing layout will test whether his resurgent confidence can withstand the formidable challenges inherent to a major.
“I almost won a major championship without feeling good about my game at all,” Hovland said. “So I don’t look at that as, like, Man, I’m lacking a bunch of stuff. If I can get the rudimentary part of the game back to where it should be, I don’t doubt my abilities to win a golf tournament.
“So that’s why I’m focusing solely on getting back to where I’ve been before, because I’m a lot more mature, I’m a lot more experienced, and I have more tools in my arsenal now to compete at these big events.”
Hovland tees off at 1:47pm in the first round at Quail Hollow on Thursday (3:47am on Friday, AEST) with Bryson DeChambeau and Gary Woodland.
