Viktor Hovland picked out the putt he holed on the penultimate hole during the second day of the 2025 Ryder Cup as the most stressful shot he has faced during his career.

While Hovland is still waiting to win his first major title, the Norwegian is no stranger to playing in some of the most intense atmospheres in the game.

The 29-year-old has won the Memorial Tournament and the Tour Championship on the PGA Tour, while he has also finished in the top-five in three of the four majors. And interestingly, Hovland has won all three of the playoffs he has contested on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

Hovland has also represented Europe in three Ryder Cups, helping the team win at Marco Simone and Bethpage.

It is probably little surprise that it is a shot from the Ryder Cup that Hovland would regard as the most stressful from his career so far.

Viktor Hovland picks the most stressful shot from his career

Hovland and Robert MacIntyre faced Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley in match four on Saturday morning in New York last September. As they reached the 17th tee, the Europeans held a narrow lead.

As he explained to Random Golf Club, Hovland felt securing the full point was hugely significant.

“They were ranked number one and three in the world at the time and we were the last group in the foursomes, so we had the whole golf course watching our match,” he said.

What was the event that got you hooked on golf?

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“I hit a terrible shot on 17, kind of on the bottom tier and left Bobby a really tough putt. He hit it to about 15 feet past the hole. If I missed we were going to be all square going into the last hole, but I made the putt. That was like wow. It was really satisfying winning that match when I knew that I did not have my best stuff and I was just able to make it work.

“When you know that you don’t quite have it and you are put in those positions, it’s way more stressful than when you do have it and you can just relax and see target and hit target, instead of feeling like you are having to manage every single shot.”

There are signs that Viktor Hovland is getting back towards his best

Europe went on to win the point on the 18th hole and move 8.5-3.5 ahead after three sessions.

Of course, Hovland played no further part in the event due to injury. He had been scheduled to play in the afternoon before being replaced by Tyrrell Hatton. He also sat out the Sunday singles, with both him and Harris English receiving half a point.

Hovland had been a star of the European team two years earlier in Rome. He had just won the FedEx Cup and was arguably the very best player in the world at the time.

So it was a surprise that he was more of a supporting character at Bethpage. There have, however, been some encouraging signs over the last 12 months, particularly with Hovland beating Scottie Scheffler in a playoff at the Travelers Championship in June.

His performances in the final three majors of 2026 were a big concern, but if Hovland can get back towards his best, he is definitely going to be one to watch next year.