European Ryder Cup hero and PGA Tour star forced out of action until 2025

Viktor Hovland has been forced out of competitive action until 2025 but will still be assured of Ryder Cup eligibility and his DP World Tour status under medical grounds, according to bunkered. 

Hovland, 27, has sustained an 'unspecfied injury' that will rule him out of the rest of the 2024 season on both the DP World Tour and PGA Tour. 

The European Ryder Cup hero had only played in two regular season events on the DP World Tour in 2024, and that left him two events short of fulfiling the circuit's four-event criteria to maintain his membership for 2025. 

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Hovland had only played in the Scottish Open and the Olympics outside of the four majors on the DP World Tour this season. 

But a DP World Tour spokesperson has confirmed to bunkered that Hovland will still be able to keep hold of his DP World Tour status and thus be eligible for Luke Donald's 2025 European Ryder Cup team as a result of his 'counting tournament' obligation being amended under 'medical reasons'. 

Hovland withdrew from last month's BMW PGA at Wentworth and has not been seen in action since. 

The Norwegian was hoping to be fit to compete in the DP World Tour Playoffs in November but his team has confirmed that will no longer be happening.

Hovland has endured a tough season with just three top-10 finishes in 17 events around the world in 2024. 

He missed the cut in three of the four majors.

But he did finish third at the US PGA. 

That coincided with him having returned to his golf coach Joe Mayo after a brief split. 

Despite a rough season by his own high standards, Hovland has only slipped four spots in the Official World Golf Rankings from fourth to eighth in 2024.

Hovland is a six-time winner on the PGA Tour but is now winless since etching his name on the FedEx Cup at the end of the 2023 season.

He proved a major thorn in the United States Ryder Cup side in September 2023 by taking 3.5 points from a possible five in Rome. 

Europe went on to seal a 16.5-11.5 victory over the stars and stripes.

Hovland will now be looking to get himself fully fit to start the season and get his 2025 Ryder Cup campaign off and running. 

The 2025 Ryder Cup takes place from 26-28 September at Bethpage Black in New York. 

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