Viktor Hovland channelling Eminem as he bids to build on momentum at the Masters

Viktor Hovland freely admits to being inquisitive and at times hard on himself, but he arrives at the Masters Tournament with renewed belief about his game.

The Norwegian has been open about his swing struggles after an inconsistent season in 2024 that continued into the early months of this year as he missed four cuts in his first six starts worldwide.

However, after dropping to 19th – his lowest Official World Golf Ranking since 2020 – Hovland emerged from his mini-slump in style as he returned to the winner’s circle with victory at the Valspar Championship on the PGA TOUR last month.

It was his first individual title since the TOUR Championship, as well as the FedEx Cup, in August 2023, and while things might not feel effortless, there is a belief back inside the 27-year-old this week as he makes his sixth Masters outing at Augusta National.

“I do feel a lot better about my game,” said Hovland, who comes into the first Major of the season after a two-week training stint in Florida.

“It's just a matter of executing in the tournament, and sometimes that's a different story. But I at least feel like I'm able to do so.

“I have that belief again, so that's exciting, whether it happens this week or further down the road. We don't know, but it's been fun to see improvements in practice the last couple of weeks.”

That optimism is in sharp contrast to the lead-up to last year’s Masters, when he did not know what shot shape he was going to execute on the range or the course.

Hovland, who was the low amateur as Norway’s first tournament participant in 2019, missed the cut at Augusta for the first time as his struggles were exposed with a second-round 81.

Now, with the support of new swing coach Grant Waite, he is feeling prepared for the challenges the course demands.

“I feel like I've gotten into some better routines, and I know exactly the shots that I need to work on,” he said.

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“The first few years here, yeah, you don't really have a clue what's going on, you just try to put one foot ahead of the other and see how the week ends up.

“It forces you to be kind of at the best in every single part of your game to be able to win this championship, and I think that’s just a sign of a great tournament, that it truly tests the best players.”

A fascinating and engaging character, Hovland cited the film 8 Mile in his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday when reflecting on whether he’d be better served being less open about his pursuit of perfection.

“I don’t mind being honest,” he replied. “I think if you hold it in, it almost becomes… the fear almost becomes bigger. When you speak the truth, you kind of desensitise it in a way.

“Maybe it’s not the best analogy, but if you’ve seen 8 Mile with Eminem, it’s like before his final rap battle, he kind of disses himself. It’s like: Here I am, what else you got on me?.

“I think it kind of puts it out there so you can just focus on the things that I need to focus on – just get back to work and get a little bit better.”