Viktor Hovland has never shied away from speaking honestly about his struggles. Earlier this year, his blunt remark about his game left the golf world stunned. And now, just after securing his third consecutive Ryder Cup selection, he once again chose transparency over celebration. While many of his peers expressed pure joy, Hovland instead opened up about the difficult stretch he had to overcome.

After being picked by Luke Donald for the 2025 edition, Hovland was asked about his calm and positive demeanor in the face of adversity. Rather than soaking in the praise, he responded with a touch of humor. “Well, it’s nice to see that I’ve got you fooled. I appreciate the kind words.” But then he peeled back the curtain on the reality behind that calm exterior. “I’ve had some tough times on the golf course. Even after, in the face of some bad rounds, just kind of feeling like I’m in a rut, no matter how much I work and how much I try different things, it seems to give the same result.”

His words reflected the frustration of the season’s early months. In 2025, Hovland’s form faltered—finishes of T36 and T22 offered only glimpses of promise before a string of three consecutive missed cuts pushed him further into doubt. That period, he admitted, tested him deeply. “When you feel like you’re stagnant and you’re not getting out of that, it’s very difficult. I try to be as stoic as I can, and I try to be positive, but I’ve had my tough moments this year. But I think all in all, they’re going to fuel me in the long run.”

And fuel him they did. Just when the doubts seemed to be mounting, Hovland rebounded in spectacular fashion, winning the very next event—the Valspar Championship. Since that breakthrough, he has carried the momentum forward, turning a season that began with frustration into one defined by resilience and consistency.

But the journey has not been an easy one for him, as he shared, “It’s definitely a lot harder than it seems.” For Luke Donald, Hovland’s comeback and past performance were historic, as he mentioned when he shared his name. Donald said, “Look at his energy and his smile. He is one of my favourite humans. I am always so impressed with how dedicated he is to his craft. He was a lion of us in Rome, and he will continue to be that in Bethpage.”

Donald’s words echo Hovland’s contributions in the 2023 Ryder Cup—his second appearance—where he delivered in spades. Paired with Ludvig Åberg, Hovland notched a record-breaking 9 & 7 victory over Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka in foursomes, and then secured a strong Sunday singles win. His overall record across five matches stood at 3–1–1. The same year he also recorded his career’s fourth hole-in-one, carved out during the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational with a precise 183-yard shot on the par-3 7th hole.

However, the golfer has also been open about his drawbacks on the course. The 27-year-old faces putting struggles, for which he shared about the reason for using AimPoint methods despite it being controversial. The reason is nothing ordinary.

Viktor Hovland opens up about his putting struggles

The Norwegian earlier shared a course with Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley, where he was asked about the putting technique. Surprisingly, Hovland, unlike others, uses the technique to mask his weakness. He said, “Yeah, I mean, it’s a pretty good just guesstimation, a system of how much a given putt breaks. So, you rely on the percentage slope that you can feel with your feet.” There are many pros on the tour who use the same technique for putting. The list includes Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Keegan Bradley, and Dustin Johnson. But away from the popularity of the technique, the critics call it useless. Take Lucas Glover’s quote into consideration when he pointed out that, “AimPoint, statistically, hasn’t helped anybody make more putts since its inception on the PGA Tour. Statistics have beared that out.”

But for Hovland, it is the best way to find the slope. The golfer further shared his shortcomings, saying, “Now, I’m not very gifted in terms of looking with my eyes and seeing slopes. I’m basically a blind man. I just can’t see the break as well as other guys can.” Shocking, right, for a golfer who is placed 116th on the ranking, confessing to the eyes being the weakness. But he has openly claimed that he doesn’t trust his eyes when it comes to putting.

Well, the transparency of the golfer has been the key to addressing every issue with a smile. Even in the hardest situations, he has earned praise similar to the interview. And now, with him being in the Ryder Cup team for the third consecutive time, he isn’t hiding his big smile.