Viktor Hovland Abruptly Severs Ties With Coach Joe Mayo Merely Hours Before the 2024 Sentry

Big news from Viktor Hovland! The Norwegian professional seems to have started the new year with an astonishing move. He has parted ways with his coach, Joe Mayo. Although the pro “did not want to get into details regarding the split,” the disband has come as nothing short of a startling revelation from the athlete who is set to play in ‘The Sentry’ in a few hours.

In 2023, Hovland was able to work on his game with the coach and improve his gameplay. Moreover, he was able to rake in three wins on the PGA Tour last year while being able to “change his short game mechanics” while improving “91 positions in strokes gained around the greens from 2022 to 2023.” Reporter Todd Lewis revealed this situation on X (formerly Twitter).

The 6X PGA Tour champ’s rise to fame in 2023, including his $18 million win at the Tour Championship, was all possible, thanks to his instructor. Considering how much Hovland improved, the split with his coach was unexpected and naturally piques the curiosity of many.

From saying, “I just suck at chipping” to becoming the FedEx Cup Tour Champion on the greens, Hovland was able to come a long way. However, behind the pro was none other than Mayo. By convincing his student to hit down on the golf ball, which goes against many of the current teaching methods, the trainer was able to radicalize the golfer’s short game.

Joe Mayo and Viktor Hovland; a memorable partnership

The coach never once believed that the professional who was able to put “a 4-iron at the back of the ball at 105 miles an hour” and hit it more than 200 yards away wouldn’t be able to chip the ball. Moreover, the instructor was all praise for the Norwegian athlete.

He once said, “he (Hovland) has the genetic ability to put a golf club on the back of the ball at 120 miles an hour and most of us don’t,” while commenting on the 2X DP World Tour champ’s game. Adding on, he indicated how “that’s the good stuff” that sets good players apart.

What about the European golfer? Well, even he was appreciative of Mayo and the effect he had on his gameplay. Moreover, the FedEx Cup champion once mentioned how his coach is “an interesting brain to pick,” subtly alluding to the love for data that they both share. Continuing with the compliment, Hovland pointed out how the ‘Trackman Maestro’ acted as a fresh set of eyes while indicating how great it was for someone to look at his game from a different standpoint.

But even so, there were some areas when the instructor himself couldn’t help out beyond a certain point. However, the talented coach was never one to leave his students hanging. The trainer set him up with none other than the Italian big-brain Edoardo Molinari, who helped look at the Norwegians’ game differently from a data-analytic point of view. However, why Hovland and Mayo decided to part ways is not clear.

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Well, the community can be sure of one thing—what both Hovland and Mayo have managed to dish out in the 2022-23 season, only few have achieved. Nevertheless, fans will have to wait and watch what the future holds for Hovland.

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