Viktor Hovland makes surprising Announcement as ‘miserable’ season comes to an end

Viktor Hovland’s “miserable” season is over due to injury, but he has received a lifeline that means he is eligible for next year’s Ryder Cup.

Hovland emerged as one of the best players in the game in 2023, winning the FedEx Cup title and playing a defining role in Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph in Rome. But in pursuit of refinements to his swing, Hovland’s game has deserted him.

The Norwegian, 27, has gone without a victory this season, missing the cut at The Masters, US Open and Open Championship and falling from third to eighth in the Official World Golf Ranking in the process.

His frustrations worsened last month when he withdrew from the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth due to an undisclosed injury, and he was a notable absentee from Thursday’s opening round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

As first reported by Bunkered, the DP World Tour has confirmed to Mirror Sport that Hovland’s injury will rule him out for the rest of the year.

Hovland will miss the Race To Dubai finale in the United Arab Emirates next month as a result, and his abrupt end to the season left him short of the requirements to keep his DP World Tour card – and thus his eligibility for Ryder Cup selection.

The tour’s rules require players to compete in four counting events to keep their card, but Hovland has played just two such events this year – the Olympic Games and the Genesis Scottish Open. LIV Golf stars Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton risked falling short of the threshold until the appealed fines imposed by the DP World Tour.

However, fears Hovland may not be eligible for the showdown with the Americans at Bethpage have been quickly allayed, with a DP World Tour spokesman confirming the Scandinavian has received a medical exemption, reducing his counting event obligations and enabling him to keep his card.