Fresh off a victory two weeks ago, Viktor Hovland arrived at the Renaissance Club for the Genesis Scottish Open brimming with renewed confidence and a sense of calm that has eluded him in recent years. The Norwegian star, speaking at his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday, reflected on his resurgence, the mental battles behind it, and the excitement of returning to links golf ahead of next week’s Open Championship.
Hovland’s recent win capped a strong week and provided a much-needed boost after a period of inconsistency. “It was an awesome week,” he said. “Nice to end a little stretch of American golf and relax with my friends.” He spent time at a close friend’s charity event, reconnecting with familiar faces and recharging at home.
The victory carried extra weight given his well-documented struggles. In a candid press conference earlier in Dubai, Hovland had openly discussed his challenges. Now, the picture looks brighter.
“Results-wise, I had a nice week that week but it’s been very up-and-down,” he explained. “It feels like kind of the last few years I’ve taken one step forward, one step back, two forward, one back… So it’s been frustrating mentally.”
Despite the turbulence, Hovland emphasised positive signs in practice and a shift in mindset. “I really do feel like – not just because I won two weeks ago – I’ve been seeing the results in practice and things going the right direction, and that makes it a lot more fun to show up to the golf course. I think I’m just a bit more relaxed, not as stressed out.”
He described his career trajectory as one of consistent improvement until 2023, when wrong turns disrupted his progress. “That’s been the most frustrating part of my career,” Hovland admitted. “Normally everything I try to do has made me a better player, and then the last couple years, seemingly almost every turn I take, it hasn’t led to any results.”
He now feels he is heading in the right direction without major overhauls: “No u-turns. If you’re not doing u-turns, you’re in a good spot.”
Hovland also addressed the delicate balance between ambition and acceptance. Referencing past wins like Valspar and his recent triumph, where he succeeded without his absolute best, he noted the internal drive that pushes him.
“I want to be able to play at such a high level where, you know, I don’t have to be delusional in my capabilities and still perform at a really high level.”
He aims to better manage this week-in, week-out, focusing on execution over perfection, because satisfaction, he believes, lies in being fundamentally sound.
“I set high goals for the fundamentals,” he said. “If I execute the fundamentals and I don’t double-cross, for example. I start the ball left and the ball moves to the right, and I can control the shots that I want to, in the way that I want to control them, I’m a happy man because I know that I can handle any condition out there.”
The conversation turned lighter with talk of Norwegian national pride as the nation continues to ride a wave that began with Hovland’s win at the Travelers and continued with Norway beating Brazil in the World Cup.
“I’m taking all the credit, that’s for sure,” he joked. He described the electric atmosphere watching games from his apartment near the city center, hearing cheers from massive crowds. “It’s really cool to see that energy… I think Norway really needed something like this to happen.”
With the rivalry against England in mind ahead of the Open, Hovland playfully anticipated banter: “I feel like it’s a very sensitive subject for them, so it might cut a little too deep… But yeah, I hope they lose and come crying out on Sunday morning.”
He even entertained the idea of a Viking rowing celebration on the first tee with the prospect of thousands of Scots joining him.
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