FedExCup update: Viktor Hovland still has time to save FedExCup title defense

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Viktor Hovland was running out of time.

The defending FedExCup champion had come into this year’s Playoffs at No. 57 in the FedExCup standings – iffy, at best, for the top-50 BMW Championship outside Denver next week. And in need of a huge move to reach the top-30 TOUR Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.

Worse, Hovland opened with an even-par 70 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Thursday. He’d hit just half the fairways, and half the greens in regulation. He’d lost nearly two strokes to the field on the greens.

What a difference a day makes.

Rallying after an extensive post-round practice session in the heat, Hovland shot an eight-birdie, one-bogey 63 in Round 2 to vault up the leaderboard.

“I think I was in bed by 7 last night,” he said. “Had a good night's sleep even though it was an early morning tee time this morning. It's important to just be out here, get your work done, and then just go inside and rest up.

“I've been utilizing the cold plunges out here, as well,” he added. “Just trying to recover as much as possible, but obviously keep working and trying to get better for the rest of the week.”

After his extended practice session late Thursday, Hovland came out firing Friday, shooting a 5-under 30 on the front nine to get into contention. A largely frustrating season was finally looking up.

Success on the PGA TOUR is a fine line, and this year Hovland is Exhibit A. After capturing the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship to win the FedExCup last season, he tried to make changes that backfired. He wanted to hit more of a cut. He wanted to be on his own, and split with his coach, Joe Mayo.

These changes, however, resulted in such lousy play that he soon reunited with Mayo. Now the two had to figure out how Hovland had gotten so off his game.

“My pattern got off,” Hovland said this week. “The things that I did in my swing that made me good, that made me able to predict a certain ball flight, I went home and tried to do a certain move. … I was upset that I wasn't cutting the ball as much as I would have liked. My ball flight started to become a little bit of a draw, which is fine. I was still hitting it good. But sometimes visually I would have liked to have seen the cut.

“Then in the off-season I made a conscious effort to try to cut the ball more,” he added, “and when I did that, I ruined a relationship that happens in my swing that makes it really difficult for me to control the face coming down. So now it's just kind of me learning from that. I know exactly what happens because I've gotten myself measured, and now it's just kind of a process of getting back to where I was.”

His second round was a step in the right direction. A top-10 finish here would be his best result since a solo third at the PGA Championship in May, and only his second top-10 finish in a strangely lackluster season.

But it may not be too late. Hovland’s early start Friday meant plenty of hours left in the day to practice, plunge and prepare for a title defense that remains very much up in the air.

Projected in

Justin Rose (No. 55, projected to No. 32): Back-to-back 66s at TPC Southwind has the Englishman making it to the second leg of the Playoffs. With one bogey through two rounds, he's flying high in the Memphis heat.

Viktor Hovland (No. 57, projected to No. 43): A second-round 64 a year ago kick-started his run to FedExCup champion. This year the Norwegian went one better (63) and is hoping that he goes on the same run.

Harris English (No. 51, projected to No. 47): Despite dealing with a back injury the Georgia Bulldog has lifted himself into the top 50 with two rounds of 68 to start.

Nick Taylor (No. 52, projected to No. 48): The Canadian is doing his best to make it to the BMW Championship and earn valuable Official World Golf Rankings points towards the Presidents Cup. Taylor highlighted his round with a 150-yard hole-out at the par-4 ninth hole.

Nick Dunlap (No. 67, projected to No. 49): The two-time winner this season will look to continue his historic rise with a debut at the BMW Championship. The Alabama standout made a move in the second round carding a 65.

Projected out

Keegan Bradley (No. 39, projected to No. 51): Managed to recover his round from a group of bogeys on Nos. 5-7 with a back-nine 33 but slipped to the wrong side of the cut-off line for Castle Pines.

Cam Davis (No. 44, projected to No. 53): Despite winning in Detroit this summer, the Australian sits outside the top 50. At 1-under par, he’ll need to make the most of potential soft conditions for the rest of the tournament.

Max Greyserman (No. 47, projected to No. 54): Bounced back from an opening 75 with a 2-under 68 on Friday to move in the right direction, but making the top 50 might be a step too far.

Mackenzie Hughes (No. 48, projected to No. 55): On a day where the average score was 68.61, shooting over par won’t help the Canadian's chances of staying inside the BMW Championship bubble. Hughes struggled on the back nine and returned in 2-over 37 for a second-round 71.

Jake Knapp (No. 50, projected to No. 58): The bubble boy struggled in the second round posting a 5-over 75. He’ll need two low numbers over the weekend to punch his ticket to Colorado.

Bubble boy

Adam Scott (No. 46, projected to No. 50): For the second day in a row the Aussie is doing just enough to stay on the right side of the line. Carded a second-round 68 to keep his spot next week ... for now.

PGA TOUR's Alistair Cameron contributed to this report.