LOUSIVILLE, Ky. – Viktor Hovland is in the thick of the trophy chase heading into the final round of the 2024 PGA Championship despite saying he felt so lost with his game that he nearly withdrew from the PGA’s flagship event.
After shooting his second straight 5-under 66 at Valhalla Golf Club on Saturday, the reigning FedEx Cup champion was asked by Sirius XM Radio’s Jason Sobel if he asked him three days earlier that he’d have a chance on Saturday, what would he say?
“I would’ve taken that immediately,” Hovland said. “I was almost considering pulling out of this event because I wasn’t playing good.”
Dogged reporter that he is Sobel asked the follow up that needed to be asked: How close did Hovland come to not playing?
“Things didn’t feel very good and when they don’t feel good, it’s like what’s the point of playing? I’d rather go work on that,” he said.
Sobel pushed on, asking when he made the decision to play.
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“Dammit, I shouldn’t have said that,” Hovland said. “It was just when you’re playing bad and thoughts are racing and that’s just what you’re thinking. Obviously, I didn’t make that decision. In the moment when you’re playing bad you just want to go home, you know?”
“I was almost considering pulling out of this event.”
Good thing he didn’t! After a 5-under 66 on Saturday, Viktor Hovland is just two shots back of the leaders at the PGA Championship entering the final round.@JasonSobelGolf | @PGAChampionship pic.twitter.com/TdDiAcGTKu
— SiriusXM PGA Championship Radio (@SiriusXMPGATOUR) May 19, 2024
Don’t we all. But Hovland was the hottest player in the world late last year, winning back-to-back FedEx Cup events to claim the season-long trophy and then starred for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup.
But in his pursuit of perfection and hitting the ball flush, he parted ways with swing coach Joe Mayo and took a detour down a rabbit hole with multiple swing coaches. He’s spent the last several months lost in the wilderness. While seeking to improve his swing, his vastly improved short game regressed and he ranks No. 186 in Strokes Gained: Around the Green this season. Hovland was so disappointed with his game after shooting a second-round 81 to miss the cut at the Masters that he skipped the RBC Heritage, a no-cut Signature event to work on his game. (He also withdrew from the WM Phoenix Open after being dissatisfied with his play at the Genesis Invitational in February.)
Hovland confirmed earlier this week that he reunited with Mayo and their limited time together has paid quick dividends.
Viktor Hovland reacts after a putt on the seventh green during the third round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. (Photo: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports)
Hovland didn’t mention that he had considered skipping the PGA, the second major of the season, when he answered questions from the media in his post-round new conference. But when asked if he was surprised to be in contention, he said, “I’m surprised in the sense that — just how far away I felt last week. But I’m not surprised in the way that I’m here because, like, I never doubted my abilities. It was just kind of my machinery was not working very well.
“But as soon as I get the machine kind of somewhere on track, I can play. Like there’s nothing wrong with me mentally or – like I never doubted I couldn’t play golf anymore. It’s just like the technique was not good enough to compete. But now we’re moving in the right direction.”
Better than that, at least in the opinion of Mayo, who posted on Instagram three words that said it all: “I am pleased.”
Joe Mayo (Viktor Hovland’s swing coach who he reunited with last week) just posted this on Instagram with no caption. Lol. pic.twitter.com/1CmcapmhDS
— Gabby Herzig (@GabbyHerzig) May 18, 2024