“I’m just playing poorly”- Viktor Hovland left struggling to explain his performance at the Paris Olympics

Olympics: Golf-Mens Stroke Play Round 2 – Source: Imagn
Viktor Hovland (Image via Imagn)
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Viktor Hovland is currently competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics being held at Le Golf National in France. The second round of the men’s golf competition concluded on Friday, August 2.

Hovland is currently tied for 54th in a field of 60 players at Le Golf National. He has an aggregate score of 3-over 145 after 36 holes. Commenting on his performance, the Norweigian said (via Sports Illustrated):

“I’m just playing poorly. The ball is not going where I want it to. And out here you’re going to be punished.”
Viktor Hovland started decently in the first round. He scored two birdies on the 2nd and 3rd hole on the front nine. On the back nine, he scored a birdie on the 16th and a double bogey on the 18th hole. He was tied for 29th after the first round with a score of 1-under 71.

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However, disaster struck in the second round. He started with a double bogey on the first hole.

“I got a big slap in the face on the opening hole, and couldn’t recover from there,” Hovland said. “My game is just not good enough at the moment, that is just the facts.”
Viktor Hovland then scored two birdies on the 3rd and 9th holes against three bogeys on the 4th, 5th, and 7th holes. On the back nine, he scored a birdie on the 16th against a bogey on the 13th hole. He finished with a 4-over 75 for the round.

The golfer added that he can still play well despite facing technical issues, giving an example of the PGA Championship. The 26-year-old finished third at Valhalla Golf Club. He further likened his game to a malfunctioning machine that needed fixing.

Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood, and Hideki Matsuyama are tied at the top of the leaderboard after the end of the second round of the men’s golf competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics. They have an aggregate score of 11-under 131. Jon Rahm is positioned fourth, and is two shots behind.

A look at Viktor Hovland’s performances in 2024
Viktor Hovland has had a decent 2024 season. In 13 starts this year, he has had one top-5 finish and six top-25 finishes. He is currently positioned 55th in the FedExCup standings.

Hovland’s best performance came at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla where he finished third. His other notable performances include a T15 at the Memorial Tournament, a T19 at the Genesis Invitational, and a T20 at the Travelers Championship.

Let’s take a look at Viktor Hovland’s performances at the 2024 PGA TOUR events:

The Sentry: T22 (65-67-72-67, 271, -21)
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: T58 (69-72-72, 213, -3)
The Genesis Invitational: T19 (70-69-70-69, 278, -6)
Arnold Palmer Invitational pres. by Mastercard: T36 (71-69-75-75, 290, +2)
THE PLAYERS Championship: T62 (73-69-71-74, 287, -1)
Masters Tournament: Missed Cut (71-81, 152, +8)
Wells Fargo Championship: T24 (72-72-72-69, 285, +1)
PGA Championship: 3 (68-66-66-66, 266, -18)
the Memorial Tournament pres. by Workday: T15 (69-69-77-75, 290, +2)
U.S. Open: Missed Cut (78-68, 146, +6)
Travelers Championship: T20 (68-70-64-65, 267, -13)
Genesis Scottish Open: T46 (67-69-68-69, 273, -7)
The Open: Missed Cut (75-77, 152, +10)
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Edited by Tushar Bahl