Golf fans probably would not have believed you had they been told after last year’s Ryder Cup that Viktor Hovland would register only his second top 10 finish of the PGA Tour season at the first FedEx Cup play-off event of 2024.
Viktor Hovland had a genuine chance to win the St Jude Championship in Memphis as Hideki Matsuyama seemingly did his best to try and throw the event away. However, the Norwegian ultimately had to settle for a tie for second – his best result since finishing third at the PGA Championship at Valhalla.
It has been a trying season for Hovland, who appeared set for an amazing year after winning the FedEx Cup in 2023. Phil Mickelson tipped Hovland for superstardom after the PGA Championship.
Hovland has returned to working with Joe Mayo after their split around the turn of the year. And it appears to be reaping rewards, with the 26-year-old forcing his way into the top 50 ahead of the BMW Championship.
What Viktor Hovland is working on in his game
And it appears that Smylie Kaufman has been given insight into what the pair are working on right now, as he told The Smylie Show that he had spoken with Hovland’s coach about their current approach.
“If you’re curious on what Joe Mayo and Viktor are working on, I thought it was really interesting for the swing nerds out there, what Joe told me that they’re trying to do, they’re trying to get the butt of the club on the downswing to work more out, versus coming towards his belly button, and more towards the golf ball. And then the one thing they’re trying to avoid is to have the shaft be steep when he does that, so he doesn’t want that shaft looking like it’s on top of his left forearm on the down the line. He wants it much more laying shallow and flatter on his right forearm,” he said.
“If you try to do that, it’s very easy to get steep when you do that, so that’s the swing thought he has right now, that’s what he used to have when he was playing really well, hitting it nice. They’re back in that same motor pattern, you’re starting to see the short game match it as well. And the putter is what I felt like, kept him in the ball game, which he’s always been a really good putter.”
The potential is frightening
It is clear what kind of potential Hovland could have if everything clicks in his game. He has already won six times on the PGA Tour, including both of the final two play-off events last year.
And he has finished inside the top 10 in three of the four majors, with his best finish at the US Open proving to be a tie for 12th. So that victory in one of the sport’s biggest events seems to be just around the corner.
Hovland believes that the changes are already paying off, but he will be wary of getting carried away after the PGA Championship proved to be something of a false dawn in his season.
Hopefully, the fact that he is now returning to two events where he has experience of winning will help him capitalise on his impressive performance at the St Jude Championship.
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