Viktor Hovland has been candid about the formidable challenge he and his fellow Masters contenders face at Augusta National this week.
Hovland is heading to Augusta with aspirations of clinching his first major title and donning the coveted green jacket, fully cognizant of the tough competition. Despite a recent win at the Valspar Championship, the one-time FedEx Cup winner has had difficulty maintaining peak performance over the last year.
The Norwegian golfer acknowledged that even though his swing wasn’t up to his usual standards at the Copperhead Course, the victory has given him a boost in readiness for the season’s first major tournament.
“It feels great to win, obviously,” Hovland shared with the press in Georgia. “As I’ve been vocal about, it wasn’t the best of my game that week, but it’s really cool to see that you can still get the job done and haven’t been in that position in a while. To feel the juices flowing was great, and I think it’s going to help me this week.
“It seems like the juices are flying on every shot out here. This place makes you feel uncomfortable, but I feel way more prepared this week because of that.” In preparation for the unique demands of Augusta National, Hovland has made a significant adjustment to his equipment setup.
European Ryder Cup sensation Hovland has mixed up his bag this week by introducing a new driver and shaft, reaching back to models he once set aside when his swing was off kilter. Sharing his recent practice insights, Hovland said, “The last couple of days back in Orlando, I’d say my iron game has been really, really nice, but still was just having a hard time with the driver to get it exactly how I wanted to,”.
(Image: Getty Images)
Unsatisfied with prior performance, he recalled: “So I asked Ken from PING to see if he could send some of the new drivers that I tested in the past, but when I wasn’t swinging it well, those misses were just accentuated. I hit those — those high, right shots that I had before were even higher and further to the right. I didn’t really feel like testing it.”
But with newfound confidence in his stroke, he opted for another take: “But now that my swing got in a better spot, I wanted to give it another go. I guess that the new shaft is a little bit stiffer at the bottom, and with the G440, it’s way more forgiving. So the heel strikes and the toe strikes I’m able to keep the ball speed up compared to the other mis-hits.”
Citing the technical advantages, he elaborated: “And the spin is just way tighter. If I hit it off the toe, it doesn’t drop down to 1,700; and if I hit it off the heel, it doesn’t go to 3,200. Really just excited about how much tighter the dispersion was and even getting a little bit more ball speed out with the new driver. Yeah, it’ll be exciting to see how it goes out there.”
Hovland, the 27 year old golfer, will kick off his 2025 Masters in Thursday’s opening round. He’ll be competing alongside 2013 winner Adam Scott and current PGA and Open champion Xander Schauffele.
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
