Viktor Hovland has admitted that Rory McIlroy is in a stronger position than him to shine at the St Jude Championship.
Hovland struggled at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with the six-time PGA Tour winner ending the competition T30.
Xander Schauffele says Hovland will recover, with the latter heading into the FedExCup Playoffs in poor form.
He has made just three cuts in his last five tournaments, finishing in the top 20 on just one occasion, and goes into the Playoffs in 57th place.
Hovland is, however, the reigning FedExCup champion, winning at both the BMW Championship and Tour Championship in 2023.
Viktor Hovland says Rory McIlroy has an advantage at the St Jude Championship
The Norwegian was also in with a chance of success at last year’s St Jude, but finished T13 after a nightmare on the 18th hole.
Hovland bogeyed the final hole at TPC Southwind, and has now discussed what happened back then, along with suggesting what may happen to McIlroy.
“I am a very aggressive player and I like to hit driver,” Hovland said in his pre tournament press conference. “The thing with my distance off the tee is that I can try and hit the line which is a bit more conservative but most likely my ball with the driver is going to run into the last driver, the furthest bunker out there, which isn’t an ideal spot.
“So I have to take my line a bit left of that bunker but because I don’t fly it 310 or 315, if I pull it slightly it won’t cover the water on the left.
“Whereas maybe a Rory or guys who hit it slightly longer than me can pull it and be perfectly fine and now you are making that fairway pretty wide. Whereas for me the driver gets pretty narrow.
“I remember the times I hit it in the water last year I hit it off the toe, so the ball doesn’t stay in the air long enough and they just go in the water.
“But I think one of the rounds too, I hit a good shot and I had a lob wedge or a sand wedge in. You have to balance that but this year I will probably just hit a three wood over to the right.
“I will have a little further in, but I believe I have the biggest margin of error there of trying to avoid the water and give myself a nine or an eight iron, especially if I feel like my irons are coming together a bit I still feel I can play that hole pretty well.”
What happened at the 2023 FedEx St Jude Championship?
Hovland shot a 10 under on the par 70 in 2023, finishing level with American duo Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa.
Lucas Glover meanwhile emerged victorious in Memphis, beating Patrick Cantlay in a playoff after the pair finished on 15 under.
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Hovland boasts an average score of nine under over his last four St Jude Championship events, with an average finish of 24th.
He then came alive at the BMW Championship and Tour Championship, with the Norwegian looking back on last year for the PGA Tour on X: “What happened at the back nine at the BMW is just one of those things. Riding good momentum there, hitting the ball great, chipping it great, and putting really nice.
“When I took all of those experiences going into East Lake, I just felt super comfortable that week. It’s not that I’m seeking perfection. It’s like I know I what I’m capable of and I want to push the boundaries of, ‘OK, I know I can do that so I expect to do that’.”
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