Viktor Hovland, the defending champion on the Memorial Event, has had a subpar begin to his 2024 season. However he returns to Muirfield Village, the place he beat Denny McCarthy in a playoff, recent off a stable efficiency on the PGA Championship.
His success right here final yr catapulted him up the FedEx Cup rankings. Hovland then went on a heater and received two extra instances, throughout back-to-back weeks in August on the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship.
Nonetheless, the previous Oklahoma State Cowboy is aware of final yr’s outcomes don’t imply something.
“This golf course doesn’t care about your recollections or good vibes,” Hovland stated.
“It’s going to punish you and convey you down when you miss it on the flawed sides. It’s one of many hardest programs we play all yr, so you need to convey your A sport, whether or not you’re a defending champion or not.”
The typical rating at the Memorial Event final yr was 74.9, practically three pictures over par. Count on the common to hover round that once more this yr, as Jack Nicklaus loves to check the perfect gamers on his course.
Much like 2023, Hovland is coming into this week with some momentum. His final begin got here at Valhalla, the place he completed solo third.
Earlier than that top-5 end, Hovland missed the lower at The Masters. His finest end result got here on the Genesis Invitational, the place he tied for nineteenth.
The 6-time PGA Tour winner went from being among the finest gamers on this planet to struggling to make cuts. Earlier than the season-opening occasion at The Sentry, Hovland and coach Joe Mayo parted methods. Then, from January to Might, he employed three totally different swing coaches.
Forward of Valhalla, he traveled to Las Vegas and commenced working with Mayo once more. Hovland instantly noticed outcomes on the PGA Championship, as he seemed like his outdated self.
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Picture by Patrick Smith/Getty Photos
“I used to be tremendous proud about that week. After not enjoying superb golf the primary few months of the yr, it was good to show one thing round,” he stated.
“As quickly as I discovered a shot that I knew the place the ball was going and I may get myself across the golf course, I used to be instantly up in rivalry. That was cool to see that it wasn’t going to be a venture that was going to take two or three months. It was a pleasant little really feel that obtained me to hit the ball higher instantly.”
For the primary two rounds, Hovland will play with 2024 PGA Championship winner, Xander Schauffele. They’ll start their first spherical at 10:20 a.m. ET on Thursday.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. For extra golf protection, be sure you comply with us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. You may also comply with her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
