With Viktor Hovland a winner on the PGA Tour again after coming out on top at the Valspar Championship, we can be excused for thinking he might well be back to somewhere near his best.
Hovland came out on top after overcoming Justin Thomas down the stretch and birdieing two of the last three to seal a first win in nearly two years.
Hovland has admitted to struggling with his form and seeing him come out on top was a surprise to many.
With the Ryder Cup this year and the Masters around the corner, Hovland will very much welcome his victory.
However, while Hovland got the win, it has been pointed out that he actually managed to do so without relying on his usual strengths.
Viktor Hovland told why he won the Valspar Championship
Hovland’s win was being looked at in the Sky Sports studio afterwards and analyst Simon Holmes got onto just how the Norwegian had won.
And in doing so, Holmes pointed out that for a change, it was Hovland’s putter that got him over the line.
“Unusually for him who would put himself as a class ball striker, his putter was probably the tool in his bag which did the business,” Holmes said.
The iron game is much better today than it has been in the last six months. The tee shots which he is commenting on, he still can’t quite get the turn depth so he can get left enough and get the start line down that left side. But this will give him mentally a massive boost.
“Technically it is a bit of a work in progress but it’s not as though there are five misses out there which are destructive. He is moving in the right direction and then the mind. The best part of his game is in his head.
“You can’t see it but look at how he performed on the last few holes and took it away from Justin Thomas as soon as he made a couple of mistakes.”
Viktor Hovland’s putting stats at the Valspar Championship
It’s interesting that Holmes points the putting out with Viktor Hovland as helping him win.
At the weekend, it was actually pointed out by American broadcasters that Hovland’s putting was costing him in terms of building a lead.
Furthermore, his stats in general compared to 2024 were not looking great.
| Viktor Hovland putting | 2024 | 2025 |
| One putt percentage | 41.03% (49th) | 40.48 (73rd) |
| Putts per round | 28.58 (39th) | 29.36 (149th) |
| SG Putting | 0.269 (44th) | -.0.728 (169th) |
| 3 putt avoidance | 2.14% (35th) | 3.57% (153rd) |
| Average distance of putts made | 79′ 11 (7th) | 66′ 8 (143rd) |
However, for this particular tournament at the Valspar, it does seem Hovland’s putting helped.
He was second in strokes gained to the field all weekend at more than seven shots on the rest of the field, while he came in as ninth for putts per greens in regulation and an impressive eighth for average feet of putts (86) made per round.
That sort of putting performances needs to be maintained if he is to keep winning, especially given the obvious mechanics in his game he’s still working on.
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