Viktor Hovland has had an eventful few weeks as the calendar flipped from 2024 to 2025.
He broke his toe on his hotel bed stand ahead of The Sentry in Maui. But before suffering that freak injury, Hovland parted ways with his swing coach, Joe Mayo, for the second time in 15 months. The two initially separated a few months after Hovland won the FedEx Cup in August 2023 but then re-kindled at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla. Their second stint lasted only seven months as Hovland decided to go in a different direction at the end of 2024.
After tying for 36th at The Sentry, Hovland took last week off to travel to the Middle East for the Dubai Desert Classic. While there, he began working with American TJ Yeaton, who is based out of Nashville, Tennessee.
Viktor Hovland is deep in the Nashville swing instructor scene. His new instructor, TJ Yeaton, is based out of Belle Meade.
Big step up for him. He sent me a video breakdown of my swing Saturday. Now he’s working with Hovland.
pic.twitter.com/Rr77j1ywaU— Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin) January 13, 2025
Golf Digest listed Yeaton, who is 36 years old, as one of America’s Best Young Teachers for 2025 — the seventh consecutive year he has received this honor.
Hovland needed a refresh, as he has not won since the 2023 Tour Championship. He did post a T-2 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, and a solo third at Valhalla, but his 2024 campaign did not yield many solid results outside of that. He missed the cut at The Masters, U.S. Open, and The Open, which he hopes will not happen again in 2025. After all, it is a Ryder Cup year, so Hovland has to make sure his game is sharp enough to solidify his place on the European team again. Hopefully, for his sake, Yeaton helps him get back on track.
Hovland is part of an elite field at this week’s Dubai Desert Classic, which includes defending champion Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, and LIV Golf stars Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
