Viktor Hovland Grapples with Frustration After Disappointing French Open Performance

Last month, Viktor Hovland’s PGA Tour season concluded with a close call at the Tour Championship. The week began when he discovered a tweak that helped him hit the ball straighter, propelling him into contention at East Lake. He held a chance to win heading into the final round but faltered, shooting two‑over par as Scottie Scheffler overtook him to claim the title.

For some time, Hovland has been searching for something more. Although he captured victories in each of the last two seasons thanks to a hot putter and competitive grit, that isn’t what he truly seeks. He wants to regain a blend of the familiar and the new—essentially, the version of himself he once was.

“No,” Hovland remarked at East Lake when asked whether he believed he could ever rediscover that perfect feeling. “You might call it a pursuit of perfection, but true perfection remains out of reach. What I’m really after is returning to the form that defined most of my career. I know how good that felt, and I recognize that my current statistics don’t match it. I can sense the difference, see it in my ball flight, and notice it in my scores. It isn’t the same. I’m not fabricating excuses; I simply believe there is a solution. I’m working to fix the issues holding me back so I can consistently play at that level week after week. That is my goal.”

The Atlanta near‑miss prompted Hovland to confront a significant philosophical question: with his PGA Tour season finished, should he pursue minor swing tweaks in the offseason or consider a more substantial overhaul? He indicated he would take an extended break to focus on correcting his inconsistent ball‑striking, which had undermined his performance in Atlanta. “In golf, you may feel distant from your best form, but the gap is often smaller than it appears,” Hovland observed. “At the same time, because I have drifted far from my original swing DNA, I want to bring it back closer to that foundation. We’ll see just how challenging that proves to be.”

After a brief hiatus, Hovland returned to action at the BMW PGA Championship on the DP World Tour, finishing tied for 27th at Wentworth. He then competed in the French Open the following week, where a T33 result highlighted what he described as “pretty shocking” tee‑shot performance. By the end of his final round in France, it was evident that the prolonged search is taking its toll on him.

“It’s meant to be enjoyable, and I want to have fun out there,” Hovland said on Sunday, reflecting on his disappointment with his play. “But it’s difficult when a shot flies 150 yards left and the next one goes the opposite direction, leaving me unsure how to correct it. That’s incredibly frustrating. Still, I keep grinding as hard as I can and manage to finish tournaments respectably.”

Hovland enjoys experimenting; his inquisitive nature drives him to seek answers, and he finds satisfaction in the pursuit itself. However, frustration mounts when every turn reveals only more road rather than the destination he hopes for. For Hovland, reaching that endpoint will reconnect him with the aspect of golf that truly resonates with his spirit.

“Everyone wants to win, which is why we put in the work,” Hovland noted at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont. “But beyond that, I possess a deep passion to execute the shots I imagine. I want to step onto the tee and strike the ball exactly as I envision it. When the ball fails to follow that plan, it troubles me.”

Before leaving East Lake, Hovland was asked what underpins Scottie Scheffler’s dominance as the relentless World No. 1. It came as no surprise to him that Scheffler’s strength lies in possessing the very quality Hovland is striving to regain—the consistency he once relied upon.

“He knows exactly where the ball is headed,” Hovland said of Scheffler. “He isn’t trying to overcomplicate things. He recognizes his advantage over most competitors, so he doesn’t need to resort to risky maneuvers. Instead, he plays intelligently, selects his moments, and remains consistently in contention.”

Hovland had hoped his goal lay nearer than it seemed, but his experience in France made it evident that his journey to rediscover himself remains far from complete.

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