Viktor Hovland bounced back from a disappointing experience at the Ryder Cup to win the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, securing the third PGA Tour crown of his career. The Norwegian was part of the European side that was hammered by the United States at Whistling Straits, losing by a record-breaking 19-9 margin.
Hovland himself struggled immensely during his first foray at the tournament, earning one point in five matches, which came in halves in his fourball match alongside Tommy Fleetwood on day one before drawing his singles contest with Collin Morikawa.
The 24-year-old appeared to be overawed by the occasion and failed to produce his best form, although he was not alone in the European ranks. He and his team-mates are underdogs at 2/1 in the latest golf odds for the tournament in Italy in two years, but a lot can change in the world of sport in a short period of time and you can track here for more on golf ahead of the next Ryder Cup in 2023.
Hovland’s performance against Morikawa showed that he does have the character for the Ryder Cup, battling back from multiple deficits against the reigning British Open champion to earn a share of the spoils. Hovland will certainly be part of the next European Ryder Cup team, considering his performances on the PGA and European Tour.
Hovland has already proved that he has the resilience to put a bad weekend behind him by winning the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba for the second year in a row. He was dominated over the four days of the competition, although a day-three round of 62 separated him from the field and allowed the Norwegian to finish four strokes ahead of his nearest rival.
The result was a fine start to the 2021/22 season for Hovland, who announced himself on the grand stage last term with his first victory at Mayakoba before winning the BMW International Open in Munich. He also finished second behind Morikawa at the 2021 WGC-Workday Championship, placing three strokes off the pace of the American. Although he was on point on the PGA Tour and WGC events, Hovland was not overly competitive in the majors. The 24-year-old’s best performance came at The Open when he placed in tied-12th but was never in the picture for the Claret Jug.
He will have to improve the quality of his displays at the majors to become one of the elite players in the world. Hovland’s consistency has allowed him to break into the top-10 of the world rankings, but without a signature win, his position will be under threat from those that can deliver in the slams. The Masters will provide Hovland with his first opportunity of 2022 to make a decisive impact.
He was solid in his first appearance as a professional at Augusta in 2021, placing in tied-21st. Finishes in the top-25 are pleasing on the eye and rack up PGA Tour points, but golfers are remembered by their performances on the grand stage. Until Hovland proves that he can produce a major-winning outing then he will continue to be on the fringes of the game.
