Viktor Hovland produced a bogey-free second-round 64 at the 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship, combining accurate driving, consistent green-hitting and two important short-game saves.
The foundation was his positioning from the tee.
“I hit a lot of fairways, and I think that’s a big deal for my game.”
That accuracy is especially valuable at TPC Southwind, where missing fairways makes scoring significantly more difficult.
From the short grass, Hovland did not necessarily hit every approach extremely close, but repeatedly found the putting surface and avoided leaving himself in dangerous positions.
“I didn’t hit my iron shots super close, but I always hit the green.”
The two exceptions produced some of the most important moments of the round.
On the eighth and 12th, Hovland felt he struck good approaches directly at the flag. Both carried farther than expected and finished beyond the green.
Instead of allowing those breaks to create bogeys, he completed two excellent up-and-downs.
“Those kind of kept the momentum going.”
The clean scorecard also reflected progress with Hovland’s swing.
He has been fighting a destructive high-right miss, but did not see that shot during Friday’s round.
“I’m not seeing any of those shots.”
The work is not complete.
Hovland still feels the ball is curving more than he wants from left to right, forcing him to manage that shape during competition.
“I’m still over-curving the ball a little bit to the right.”
Even so, he considers the overall direction positive:
“It’s trending for sure.”
The difference between Thursday and Friday was not necessarily the quality of every shot.
Hovland felt he played relatively well in both rounds. The opening round, however, contained two expensive decisions and executions.
On the 15th, he hit a poor tee shot and found a difficult lie. He believed he could advance the ball long and left of the green rather than laying up, but the shot finished in the water and produced a double bogey.
On the ninth, a poor wedge from the centre of the fairway led to another dropped shot.
Friday did not contain those errors.
“I just didn’t make those silly mistakes today.”
That discipline allowed the fairways, greens and putting to add up to a 64 rather than being partially erased by one or two damaging holes.
TPC Southwind also fits Hovland when he knows where the ball is going.
Finding fairways allows him to take advantage of his iron play. This week, he has also received valuable support from two areas that have not always been automatic strengths:
His putting has been effective.
His short game has produced important saves.
“If I’m hitting the ball well here, I feel like I’m going to have a lot of opportunities for birdie.”
The immediate challenge is physical recovery.
Friday’s afternoon round meant spending approximately five or six hours in the Memphis heat. Hovland’s plan was to use the cold plunge briefly, remain in air conditioning and rest.
“It definitely takes a toll being out here for five, six hours.”
The weekend now offers another opportunity to contend in Memphis.
The high-right miss has stayed away.
The scorecard is clean.
And Hovland’s complete game is beginning to trend in the correct direction.
Watch Viktor Hovland’s complete second-round interview from the 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind.
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