“I shouldn’t have said that” Viktor Hovland makes shock (!) admission at US PGA

Viktor Hovland is in contention for the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club despite recently struggling with his game so much that he almost withdrew from the event. The reigning FedEx Cup champion followed his second consecutive 5-under 66 on Saturday, putting him firmly in the mix for the title.

Speaking with Sirius XM Radio’s Jason Sobel, Hovland admitted he would not have believed he’d be in this position three days ago. “I was almost considering pulling out of this event because I wasn’t playing good,” Hovland revealed. When pressed by Sobel on how close he came to withdrawing, Hovland explained, “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.”

Hovland further explained the decision-making process, saying, “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?”

Despite these recent struggles, Hovland has a strong track record, having won back-to-back FedEx Cup events last year and performing well for Team Europe in the Ryder Cup. However, in his pursuit of perfection, he parted ways with swing coach Joe Mayo and experimented with multiple other coaches, which led to a decline in his game. This season, he ranks No. 186 in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, highlighting his difficulties.

After missing the cut at the Masters with a disappointing second-round 81, Hovland skipped the RBC Heritage, opting to work on his game instead. He also withdrew from the WM Phoenix Open following dissatisfaction with his performance at the Genesis Invitational in February. Earlier this week, Hovland confirmed he had reunited with Mayo, and the renewed partnership has quickly yielded positive results.

Reflecting on his position after the third round, Hovland 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.”

Joe Mayo expressed his satisfaction with Hovland’s progress, posting on Instagram, “I am pleased.” Hovland’s performance this week suggests he is indeed moving back in the right direction and could secure another significant victory.