Success in golf often comes with constant recalibration. Golfers adjust their strokes, stance, equipment, caddie, coach, and many other things to improve their game. Viktor Hovland knows that better than most. While the Norwegian golfer has had the same caddie, Shay Knight, since he turned professional, he has worked with many coaches throughout his career. And before the start of the 2025 season, he split with Joseph Mayo, or Joe Mayo. The two disagreed on how Hovland should move forward.

While the split came amid disagreement, the 7x PGA Tour winner acknowledges Joe Mayo as a great coach. “But Joe was definitely, he’s a very unique character. He definitely goes against the common way of doing things in terms of what’s normal out there in golf instruction. But he’s an elite-level thinker and a great problem solver. And, yeah. He certainly helped me a lot and shaped my way of thinking when it comes to playing this game.” Viktor Hovland shared on the Flag Hunters Golf Podcast.

Hovland and Mayo first started working together in 2019. However, it was a tiny stint.

The Norwegian star wanted to explore more of what was out there in terms of coaching. Thus, he kept switching coaches when he had just turned professional. First, he used to learn from Kelvin Miyahira. Then he worked with Denny Lucas before joining Joe Mayo for a small time. After Mayo, it was Jeff Smith, and the two worked together for a couple of years. Later, he worked with Mayo again until 2024, but they ended their partnership because of a disagreement.

“I no longer work with Mayo. We ended that collaboration about a month ago,” Viktor Hovland told Norsk Golf in December 2024. “I don’t need to go into detail about it, but we disagreed a bit about the way forward, what’s best for me. I feel like I’ve learned so much now and have so much expertise that I don’t need anyone holding my hand anymore.”

Although the 2025 Valspar Championship winner parted ways with Mayo, he says Joe’s coaching was different from that of others. He acknowledged that all the coaches he had worked with had a similar school of thought.

“So they all seem to have a similar school of thought, but obviously different ways of problem. Because it’s, you know, I think at the end of the day, it’s biomechanics and understanding forces and torques, and then being able to apply that to each individual, pattern.” And while Mayo shared a similar school of thought, he looked at problems differently.

When Mayo was describing his philosophy to Viktor Hovland, it made so much sense to him. It even yielded results for the Norwegian golfer. Hovland says his chipping wasn’t very impressive, but Mayo helped him improve it.

“I found kind of immediate success and thought that kinda makes sense. And when you explain about spin loft, then obviously the more down you hit on it, and you get more loft, at impact, you can create a lot of friction. You can spin the ball a lot, which is what the best players in the world do,” Hovland shared.

The two had a productive relationship. Mayo was working with him during his breakthrough 2023 season. He won the Memorial Tournament, the BMW Championship, and the Tour Championship. This 2023 campaign also saw Hovland win the season-long FedEx Cup title and perform strongly at the Ryder Cup. But then, the two parted ways during the offseason.

Viktor Hovland is currently working with his former coach, Grant Waite, after splitting with him in 2024.

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Grant Waite’s work with Viktor Hovland

After splitting with Mayo, Hovland was working with TJ Yeaton. But even then, he talked about Mayo to Norsk Golf when he broke the news of their split. “It’s always good to have someone who can watch what I’m doing, check out the steps I’m taking. So I send some videos to another coach, but he’s more of a consultant,” Hovland said.

But after a few months, he switched back to his former coach, Grant Waite. Waite is a former PGA Tour player from New Zealand with notable playing and coaching credentials. He played 13 years on the PGA Tour, winning the New Zealand Open in 1992 and the 1993 Kemper Open, among other events.

Hovland first worked with Waite in 2024 and has since reunited with him multiple times, most recently around the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Valspar Championship. Hovland appreciates Waite’s blend of playing experience and coaching knowledge.

“We got together, and I liked the way he said things. Now I have a different perspective from when we worked together last time.”

Viktor Hovland himself has acknowledged that Waite provides a fresh perspective and a level of expertise that helps him trust his swing and build confidence.