Viktor Hovland’s change in coach seems to face as many ups and downs as his games in recent times! Talking about his performance at the start of this year, Hovland was crystal clear he needed to do more. “In my opinion, I suck at it right now, but that’s all relative,” he said. But, let’s try to understand where this anxiety comes from. Hovland clinched three wins back in 2023 and even captured the FedEx Cup title, but then his performance staggered. Immensely. His 2024 season included more missed cuts (3) than top-10 finishes (2). Jump to 2025, and things did not get better. Hovland missed making it to the weekend at The PLAYERS Championship but got the hang of it at Valspar. He ended day 2 of play at T2.

So, how does Hovland deal with this subpar performance? He changes his swing coach. In the latest news, Hovland has split up from his college swing coach, Denny Lucas, and returned to Grant Waite during the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational. So, who is Grant Waite?

Born in 1964, Palmerston, Waite played for 13 years on the PGA Tour and finished second to Tiger Woods in the 2000 Canadian Open. Before that, Waite had won the New Zealand Open in 1992 in addition to the Trafalgar Capital Classic in the same year. He followed it with the win at the Utah Open in 1993. Additionally, with his 40-foot birdie putt at the 16th hole and a bunker shot at the 18th, Waite registered one of his major wins at the 1993 Kemper Open Championship.

Additionally, Waite made it into the 2015 Champions Tour by finishing 2nd at qualifying school. His best major finish? It came back in 1997 with T36 at the U.S. Open. However, after 13 years in the PGA Tour, Waite switched to swing instructor in 2006, and coaching by the time 2011 rolled around.

Known for his swing as a putting stroke, back in 2011, Waite said that he was comfortable with the switch. And what made him such a good fit for the role? His strong streak of curiosity made instructing a natural fit. And he believes in his students. Back in 2018, Waite said he believed in the ability of every golfer to understand concepts. “I believe in the intelligence and ability of every golfer to understand good concepts and principles. Dumbing it down is an excuse at times for incomplete info THAT MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT. People can run businesses, households, pass drivers test can understand golf terminology.” 

It’s no wonder that Hovland has returned to his care. Talking about him back in 2014, Hovland said: “His knowledge is very impressive, he knows what he’s talking about.” Interestingly, Waite’s playing career dealt with a staggering performance from 2004 when he lost his PGA membership, eventually making a downgrade to the second-tier Nationwide circuit. Eventually, Waite adopted the reverse grip, the belly putter, and ultimately decided to stand on the right side of the ball and putt left-hand. The catch? He has tried everything.

“Not only have I tried everything but I have had to apply it at the highest level. I know things that work and don’t work, and they’re not theories.” Known for his long game, Waite first worked with Hovland in 2024 before splitting up in the same year. Then, Hovland said he wanted to keep things simple and now he wants to learn all he can from Waite. Interestingly, he said, “We got together and I liked the way he said things. Now I have a different perspective from when we worked together last time.”

However, Grant Waite’s coaching isn’t only limited to Viktor Hovland and even consists of Thai star golfer Patty Tavatanakit. So, let’s take a quick peek at a few of the stunners in his roster of students!

Grant Waite has a team of star-studded golfers in coaching history

Let’s start with Patty Tavatanakit. Back in 2021 and struggling with her transition from amateur to life as a professional, Tavatanakit approached Waite for his guidance. This decision was followed by her win at the ANA Inspiration where she won by two strokes. So, how were they dealing with the issue? “One of the big things we’ve been working on is understanding how to play a round of golf in terms of when to be aggressive, when not to.” For Waite, understandably, being an effective coach meant understanding a player beyond the golf swing. Having coached Tavatanakit and seeing her win ANA, he even congratulated her.

Jodi Ewart Shadoff was another LPGA star in Waite’s care back in 2022. They talked about her back pain and he offered a few swing change suggestions to ease the pain. Dealing with missed cuts in 8 of her last 10 events, she won the MEDIHEAL Championship in her 246th start in LPGA roughly a year after her work with Waite. Then, Shadoff said, “He has walked in my shoes. He knows what it feels like. He knows what it feels like on the golf course.” 

His roster of clients also includes Charles Howell III, Aaron Baddeley, and Trevor Immelman, Paula Creamer, Amelia Garvey, among others. What a trustworthy person! Will Hovland get the results he wants–likely!