Viktor Hovland, Golf | Hovland has “disappeared” again: – Can’t go on like this

Norway’s great golf star Viktor Hovland has had a tough start to 2024.

The level from last year’s season has been absent, and it all peaked when he missed the cut in the prestigious Masters two weeks ago.

Since then, the Norwegian has “gone to sleep” and focused on training rather than playing tournaments.

Recently, it also became clear that he is over the week CJ Cup Byron Nelson, and by all indications will only be back at the Wells Fargo Championship in about two weeks.

That means over a month without Hovland in a tournament.

– I think it’s boring, because you want him in those tournaments. It is not up to me to meddle in the choices he makes, but I have to say that I think it is strange, Discovery expert Per Haugsrud tells Nettavisen.

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Worried about the breaks

The boy from Oslo had already taken longer breaks before the Masters tournament, which ended with one of his weaker results in a long time.

– When he takes so many breaks, there is only extra pressure every time he shows up. Tiger Woods also went on like that, but he turned up and won every time. Viktor hasn’t exactly done that this year, so there will be a lot of pressure, reflects Haugsrud.

And continues:

– I think it would be wise to have a slightly more relaxed relationship with it, and take the training in the areas where the tournaments are also played. Because then there won’t be so much pressure to deliver when he is there.

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The expert believes that it cannot continue in this way, if the results are not forthcoming.

– If it doesn’t work now, he must consider making major changes and rather be more active when it comes to tournaments. He can’t go on like this if it doesn’t work.

Uplifting message

After six tournaments in 2024, Hovland has yet to earn a top 10 finish, and has just one top 20 finish.

It comes after a season in which he finished with two tournament victories, the FedEx Cup overall and the MVP award in the Ryder Cup.

– It has probably been much worse than what I had feared. I was also very surprised when he chose to change coaches, after his success last year. There can quickly be several different factors that come into play, so it is difficult to say what the reason was.

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Haugsrud, on the other hand, has reassuring words for those Hovland supporters who should be worried.

– On the other hand, I expect that this will resolve over the course of the year, because he is such an incredibly good player. Suddenly he gets the machinery going, he also wins two tournaments and then we sit here and laugh at how worried we were. The question is more when it comes loose, he concludes.