Inside the technical obsession, emotional maturity, and coaching carousel behind Viktor’s finest form yet
By MyGolf.World Editorial Team
🗓️ August 4, 2025
“Sometimes, you have to lose the swing before you can find it again.”
— Viktor Hovland
Viktor Hovland isn’t one to make excuses. But if you watched him stumble through early 2023—missing cuts, bleeding strokes with his wedges, visibly frustrated—it was clear something was off.
“It wasn’t just the swing. It was me second-guessing everything I used to trust,” he said in a recent interview on the Son of a Butch podcast.
“I knew what I used to do. I just didn’t know if it still worked.”
That disconnect led him on a journey back—and then forward—with coach Joe Mayo, a reunion that gave birth to one of the most significant comebacks in recent Tour memory.
From Data to Doubt: The Break Before the Breakthrough
After working with Mayo in 2022, Hovland was all in on biomechanics.
- Force plates.
- Pressure mapping.
- Ground reaction theories.
But by early 2023, the data felt louder than the feels.
“I had all this technical knowledge and couldn’t hit a 60-yard wedge inside 15 feet,” Hovland admitted. “It was like trying to solve a math equation with a paintbrush.”
Their split was amicable. But it was clear: the search for Viktor 2.0 had gone too far.
The Comeback Coach: Mayo Returns
When results didn’t improve with a new team, Hovland quietly called Mayo again.
“We didn’t need a reinvention. We needed a reset,” Mayo told Golf Channel.
“Viktor didn’t lose his talent—he lost trust in his blueprint.”
They reunited before the Memorial, and within weeks:
- Hovland won the PGA Championship
- Rose to #3 in the world rankings
- And recorded career-best proximity stats from 100–150 yards
It wasn’t a swing overhaul. It was a belief restoration.
Feel vs. Real: Learning to Own His Game
Mayo wasn’t just a coach; he was a translator—turning Viktor’s feel-based Norwegian DNA into a swing that could win under pressure.
“He never told me to swing like someone else. He helped me understand my own patterns better.”
This time around, the duo worked less on 3D sensors and more on practical tools:
- Shallowing drills in bunkers
- Weight-shift rhythm games
- Tempo tracking under fatigue
“The swing changes stuck this time because I owned them,” said Hovland.
The Final Split: Moving On—On His Terms
Despite the success, Hovland made a surprising move in mid-2025: parting ways again with Mayo.
But this time, it wasn’t out of frustration. It was evolution.
“Joe helped me build the frame. Now it’s time to paint the picture myself.”
He’s now working with a minimalist coaching setup—more reps, fewer voices. The result? His most consistent season yet.
Golf’s Not Linear—And Neither Is Coaching
Viktor Hovland’s story isn’t about one coach or one method. It’s about trusting the loop:
- Experiment.
- Struggle.
- Reunite.
- Refine.
- Move on.
Viktor’s Results Post-Reunion with Mayo (June 2024–July 2025)
| Tournament | Finish | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|
| PGA Championship | 🥇 1st | +2.4 SG: Approach per round |
| Scottish Open | T-4 | 89% scramble rate (career best) |
| FedEx St. Jude | T-2 | -16 total, 65 on final round |
| Hero Indian Open | T-6 | 4.7 strokes gained tee-to-green |
Final Thought: “Not Every Exit Is a Goodbye”
Hovland may have left Mayo’s stable again, but the tools—and trust—are locked in now.
“I used to change swings. Now I just change situations,” he said in his post-win press conference at the Scottish Open.
Golf is a lonely game. But every great comeback is built with someone walking beside you—for a while.
And Viktor Hovland? He’s proof that a reunion doesn’t mean you’re going backward—it means you’re ready to leap forward.
