Golf sensation Viktor Hovland has candidly shared his ordeal of sustaining a bizarre toe break injury in his bedroom just before the start of the 2025 PGA Tour season, yet he's determined to tee off at The Sentry.
The 27-year-old Norwegian, who recently took a four-month hiatus from golf to refine his swing and recover from a wrist injury, was seen limping during practice sessions at Kapalua's Plantation course.
On Instagram, Hovland humorously recounted how he broke his toe by accidentally hitting it against his bed frame whilst attempting to turn off the lights after his long journey to Hawaii. Despite the setback, he remains committed to participating in The Sentry tournament scheduled for Jan. 2-5.
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With a chuckle, Hovland remarked: "It's the best one to break. I got up in the middle of the night and was going to turn down the lights and get ready for bed and I stubbed it on the bed frame. It happens."
As he gears up for his comeback after 122 days away, Hovland acknowledged that navigating the course might be challenging but expressed optimism about his improving swing: "I think the walk is going to be the toughest part this week. The swing is feeling better and better."
The world No. 8 has opened up about his decision to take a four-month break from the sport, reflecting on his near-misses at the PGA Championship and FedEx Cup playoff event. He admitted: "From a feel standpoint, it was as bad as it could have felt."
Despite the setbacks, he remains positive, saying: "It's cool to look back that I almost won a major, almost won a playoff event, got to the Tour Championship. I think I've got to take that with me a little more and tell myself it's better than what it feels like."
"You do have to look at it from the basics. You have to question everything. If you try to work on stuff and it's not changing the picture the way you want it to, you have to look at the basics."
He also revealed a significant change in his coaching setup, having split with swing coach Joe Mayo over differing views on his future direction: "We disagreed a bit about the way forward, what is best for me. I feel that I have learned so much now and have so much competence that I don't need anyone to hold my hand anymore. It's always good to have someone to watch what I'm doing, check out the steps I'm taking. So I send some videos to another coach, but he's more like a consultant. I am the one in charge of my own turn."
