Viktor Hovland vows patience amid frustrating season and swing struggles

The 26-year-old Norwegian claimed his first FedExCup with a fine finish to his 2023 PGA Tour campaign, during which he made the top 20 in all four majors.

However, he has competed just three times this year, limiting himself to the signature events and is yet to finish any higher than a tie for 19th place.

Hovland, who split with swing coach Joe Mayo as the season got under way, revealed on the eve of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Florida that he has been working with Grant Waite and told the PGA Tour's official website: "It's been a little bit frustrating so far this year.

"I feel like my swing hasn't been quite as good as it has been in previous years, so I've tried to prioritise just being home and practising, putting a lot of work in.

"I don't really want to fight through something while playing. It's just not that fun and I don't see the point of it."

Hovland insists he is not necessarily looking to replicate last season's swing and remains confident he will find a way through his current difficulties.

He said: "I will say, credit to myself, I'm very good at making things work. I think I'm talented in that way, but it definitely helps when the swing is also in a good spot.

"So we've got a little bit of work to do, but that's kind of a challenge and it's fun."

Meanwhile, eight-time PGA Tour winner Patrick Cantlay believes an overhaul of the official golf world rankings is "inevitable" as the issue continues to be a talking point.

On Tuesday it emerged LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman had written to players to inform them the Saudi breakaway tour would no longer be pursuing its long battle to be recognised by the OWGR.

Due to the nature of its closed-field, 54-hole events, LIV has been deemed not to meet the criteria to join the established tours.

Ranking points are significant as for many golfers they are their only way of qualifying for the majors.

Cantlay said: "I think the world rankings has a very particular set of criteria.

"I don't know if broken is the right word, but I think that there's been so much uncertainty and change in the last couple of years that it's inevitable that things need to be updated or changed.

"I don't know if we've worked through all the changes necessary, compared to all the changes that have happened in the last couple of years."

The Arnold Palmer Invitational is the PGA Tour's fourth signature event, which have limited fields and increased purses and FedEx Cup points. This season the likes of Rory McIlroy and world number one Scottie Scheffler are in the 69-man field.

READ MORE: Patrick Cantlay calls for overhaul of world golf rankings amid impasse