Viktor Hovland closed out 2023 as one of the hottest players in the world. The Norwegian won the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship in back-to-back weeks, cementing himself as one of the best players in the world.

However, Hovland hasn’t begun 2024 quite as well as he’d anticipated. In his three starts this year, he’s finished T22, T58 and T19. Although he’s been good off the tee, his iron game isn’t quite where it was last year, and he’s lost strokes on approach in a small sample size.

While speaking with the media prior to his start at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Hovland revealed that he is currently unhappy with his swing.

“It’s been a little bit frustrating so far this year. Feel like my swing hasn’t been quite as good as it has been in previous years, so it’s been, felt like I’ve tried to prioritize just being home and practicing, putting a lot of work in.”

“It’s just the mechanics of the swing. Just haven’t been able to hit the shots that I want to,” Hovland said. “When you’re seeing a shot, and your swing is not producing those shots, it becomes very tough to compete, especially at this level.”

Hovland went on to say that he believes his swing was better in 2021 than it was last season, which was his best season as a professional.

“I actually prefer my golf swing better in 2021, kind of early 2021 I feel like my ball striking was the best. Now don’t get me wrong, I definitely swung it well last year, but it wasn’t as good as I would have wanted.”

As for the swing changes he’s currently working on with coach, Hovland was reluctant to go too deep, but revealed:

“I don’t want to get too into it, but I’m just like — basically, I’m just pressuring the ground a little bit differently and, yeah, just doing a couple things different off the ball that is causing a chain reaction. So, it’s just a matter of trying to get the swing started the right way, and I should be able to find my groove from there.”

Despite his relative struggles, Hovland is still amongst the favorites at Bay Hill. Last year he finished in a tie for 10th and in 2022 he finished in a tie for 2nd.

More from the 19th Hole

During season two of “Full Swing” on Netflix, the docuseries sat down with Paulina Gretzky, who’s married to Dustin Johnson.

While speaking to the show, Gretzky revealed that her family has received death threats over Dustin’s move to LIV Golf.

“There were people sending death threats and awful, awful, awful things. People were aggressive, that’s for sure, but that’s when I shut it down for a little bit and I was like ’I don’t need to look at this, everyone has an opinion on it and fine.’

“We have a little bit more time together now since things have changed a little, whereas before it was ‘go go go.’ We have more control now of how we do things.

“The old life we had; it was ‘I had to take a back seat’ but now it feels like we’re in the front of the plane together flying. It was the right move.”

Since his move, DJ has been adamant that the decision was what is in the best interest for him and his family. He has wins in each of his three LIV seasons, amassing 5 victories in total and won $35 million alone in his first season on LIV.

More from the 19th Hole

LIV Golf is set to begin its fourth event of the season at Hong Kong Golf Club in Hong Kong, China. This marks the first time that LIV Golf will travel to China for an event.

Hong Kong Golf Club is a par 70 measuring 6,710 yards. LIV will be using the “Fanling Course” for the event.

While speaking with Asian Tour player Travis Smyth, he gave me a rundown on what it takes to be successful at Hong Kong Golf Club.

“Hong Kong golf club, it’s pretty old school, like super short and tight. And I, I don’t think it falls into like a bomber’s hand. I think you’ll see a lot of guys hitting it to roughly the same spots on the majority of the holes. There’s a few holes where Bryson will be able to unleash a few but not many. When I played here, I hit Hybrid on Par 4’s off the tee maybe like seven times.”

Travis also said that the tight fairways and penal potential misses will keep the bombers at bay.

“It’s just that sort of course you’re hitting it like anywhere from 220 to 240 off the tee. And then from there you have a range of holes where it’s like kind of some sort of wedge or nine. It’s not very long.”

Around the green game will also be tremendously important at Hong Kong Golf Club.

“The greens are small as well and it’s usually quite hard to get up and down if you miss the greens. Someone like Cameron Smith I could see doing really well there. He played well in the international series. but just someone that’s, you know, pretty dolled in with their, their scoring clubs, he’s probably going to do well there.”

Players dialed in with their game from tee to green with control over the golf ball should fare extremely well.

“You can’t really scramble from the trees either. So, you really just have to. I’d, yeah, just whoever’s the best ball striker that week, you can’t really strap it around and fake it around there. You got to hit it straight. The tree lines are dead, there’s some hazards and stuff. It’s a short, tight quirky course, not what any of these guys are probably used to.”

Despite it being short, don’t be surprised if it gives players some real trouble.

“It should be fun viewing because there’ll be a lot of opportunities. They’ll feel like they can go low around there because it’s short but, you know, you make a few bogeys, and you get quite frustrated, and you start pushing off the tee and find some trouble and stuff. It can eat you up as well.”

Smyth finished 2nd at Hong Kong Golf Club to qualify for the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

Past Winners at Hong Kong Golf Club

• 2023: Ben Campbell (-19)
• 2022: Wade Ormsby (-17)
• 2018: Aaron Rai (-17)
• 2017: Wade Ormsby (-11)
• 2016: Sam Brazel (-13)
• 2015: Justin Rose (-19)
• 2014: Scott Hend (-13)
• 2013: Miguel Angel Jiminez (-12)

The top of the board once again will be a major threat this week. Jon Rahm is still in search of his first win on LIV and has been knocking at the door in each of his first three starts. Brooks Koepka hasn’t yet contended but is playing steady golf and has yet to shoot a round outside of the 60’s this season. Joaquin Niemann is the hottest player on the planet and has shown no signs of slowing down.

However, on a golf course that can neutralize the big hitters, this is an event that seems a bit more up for grabs than we’ve seen in the first three LIV events.

LIV Golf Stats YTD

 

2024 LIV Hong Kong Picks

Cameron Smith +2000 (Bet365, BetRivers)

It’s been a slow start for Cam Smith this season. In his three starts on LIV, he’s finished T8, T15, T41 and has yet to look like the Cam that is one of the best players in the world. Hong Kong Golf Club should be the perfect course fit to get the former Open Champion out of his slump.

Hong Kong Golf Club is tight off the tee, and many players won’t be able to hit driver. That will neutralize some of the best drivers of the golf ball in the field and propel players like Cam, who are almost unbeatable from fairway to green. Cam’s driver has been a weakness throughout his career, and it’s been especially pronounced this season. He’s tied for 51st in fairways hit thus far on the season. Taking driver out of his hand this week could be exactly what he needs to get on track.

Despite the poor tee balls, Smith still ranks 1st in putting and 5th in birdies made. He’s also a great scrambler, and with small greens at the course, having to get up and down is inevitable. If he can play from the fairway this week, he should have a major advantage in the other facets of the game.

Louis Oosthuizen +2000 (DraftKings)

Louis Oosthuizen should be an absolutely perfect fit for Hong Kong Golf Club. The South African has been remarkably consistent over the past few months dating back to the fall, where he won two consecutive DP World Tour events and also finished 2nd at the International Series Oman. In his three LIV starts this year, Louis has finished T8 at LIV Mayakoba, 50th at LIV Las Vegas and T2 at LIV Jeddah.

Louis is relatively short off the tee and that won’t hurt him this week. He is one of the best putters and scrambler on LIV, and his silky-smooth swing looks as dialed in as ever at the moment. He’s yet to win a LIV event, but a victory for Louis seems imminent.

Patrick Reed +5000 (FanDuel)

Patrick Reed is another play who’s yet to win a LIV event but has been a winner throughout his entire career. The former Masters champion should love Hong Kong Golf Club as it will play to his strengths on and around the greens.

Reed played on the Asian Tour this fall and finished T15 at the Hong Kong Open and T7 at the Indonesian Masters. The experience in Asia this season should be a benefit for Reed acclimating to the travel and conditions this week.

The 34-year-old should benefit from taking driver out of his hand and similar to Smith, can beat anyone in the world if the tournament become a short game competition.

*Featured Image and Stats Image courtesy of LIV Golf*