Ryder Cup: Viktor Hovland assured his quick sport will assist Europe

At the 2021 Ryder Cup in Wisconsin, Viktor Hovland was the brand new child on the block. He had an infectious smile, a captivating character, and a tee shot that might go for miles.

But he additionally had a poor quick sport, which helps clarify why the Norwegian went 0-3-2 at Whistling Straits.

Yet, two years later, Hovland’s sport across the greens is vastly improved, therefore why he emerged because the FedEx Cup champion.

“I lacked the special things in the matches to where you really flip the momentum around, and you can build on a big putt or an up-and-down or maybe a chip-in or something like that,” Hovland stated of his Ryder Cup debut. “That just wasn’t there.”

“I think this time around, with all the work that I’ve done on the short game and some of the accomplishments that I’ve made in the last few tournaments and throughout the year, I feel like I’m much more accomplished.”

Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Getty Images

Indeed, Hovland ought to really feel extra achieved.

He decimated the PGA Tour’s high gamers at each Olympia Fields and East Lake to win the BMW and Tour Championships. In June, Hovland emerged victorious on the Memorial Tournament, defeating Denny McCarthy in a playoff for his maiden win.

He additionally performed effectively within the majors.

“Even if I don’t have my game or I don’t hit it as well as I would have liked, I still feel like I can win or get up and down from a terrible spot,” Hovland added.

“It’s not like, oh, I have to be in the perfect spot to have a chance to win the match. There is a belief and a confidence that I can get myself out of any situation, and I think that’s a huge turnaround from last time.”

That confidence stems from famend golf coach Joe Mayo, whom Hovland began working with at first of the 12 months.

Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

“It’s no secret that I’ve never been great around the greens, and to play at the highest level, it’s very difficult to beat the best players in the world if you can’t get the ball up and down, especially when the courses get tough,” Hovland stated.

Hovland then defined how he was getting too shallow when hitting chip pictures and getting method behind the ball. That created inconsistencies and poor execution.

“Around the green, you want to slow the ball down, so you want to essentially do the opposite of what you do to hit a drive,” Hovland stated. “When [Mayo] explained certain feelings that I have in my short game and just explained how to do that, it just clicked for me, and I was able to do it right away on the practice green.”

Slowing issues down clearly clicked for Hovland, who’s arguably one of the best participant on the planet proper now.

He ought to have all the arrogance on the earth along with his famend quick sport, which ought to spell bother for Team USA in Rome.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko for extra golf protection. Be positive to take a look at @_PlayingThrough too.