Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Hovland did not have his best season on the PGA Tour in 2024, but he still made it to East Lake for the Tour Championship.
ATLANTA — Viktor Hovland made just 15 starts on the PGA Tour in 2024. However, it was enough to get him inside the Top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings and a shot at defending his Tour Championship title.
No one expected this kind of year for the Norweigan after his dominant win at East Lake.
He made 12-of-15 cuts. Hovland finished in the Top 25 seven times and twice inside the Top 10. The 26-year-old was solo third at the PGA Championship but missed the cut at the other three majors.
Hovland’s best tournament came two weeks ago at the FedEx St. Jude Championship with a runner-up finish to Hideki Matsuyama.
His performance in Memphis got him inside the Top 30 and into the field at East Lake.
“What’s cool is that I’ve still made it to this week playing what I felt like is absolute garbage,” Hovland said ahead of the Tour Championship on Tuesday.
“That’s something pretty cool to have in my back pocket. That’s how I’m processing this. I’m always present and analyzing what’s going on. I’m just happy we’re moving in the right direction.”
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Hovland is his worst critic and is never afraid to speak openly about his struggles.
After last year’s finish, no one expected his season to look how it did in 2024.
“If last year were a 9 out of 10, I’d probably say we’re still at a 5 out of 10, 4, 5 out of 10 right now,” he said about his game. “Last year, I played well. I knew I played well. Every single day was a good day. Now, it feels like a little bit more hard work. But, at least, I’m on the right track.”
Going into Memphis, Hovland desperately needed a good finish to get inside the Top 30. He produced, which made getting a start in Atlanta much more likely.
Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“I was super pumped just to come back and turn a pretty bad year into an okay year, making it here,” Hovland said. “I’m just pumped that the curve is trending upwards, and I’ve just got to ride that wave and keep it going.”
The former Oklahoma State Cowboy enters the Tour Championship ranked No. 17 in the FedEx Cup standings. He will start the tournament at 2-under par with the staggard format.
Hovland will play Round 1 with Russell Henley at 12:27 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
