Is Ludvig Aberg Team Europe’s Ryder Cup Secret Weapon?

Both rosters are set and locked in for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

And while many of the names—Rickie, Rory, Brooks, Viktor, Xander, Rahm, Scottie—may be familiar, it’s one of the less familiar names that I believe may have the largest impact on the outcome of this Ryder Cup:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Per his Wikipedia page, “Ludvig Noa Åberg is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour. He was formerly number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He won the Ben Hogan Award as the best collegiate player in the United States in both 2022 and 2023, becoming the first since Jon Rahm to win the award twice.”

In addition, Åberg is the first golfer to scoop back-to-back Big 12 Conference Championship titles and the first golfer to earn a PGA TOUR Card from collegiate merit.

These accolades, however, do not tell the story of how good Åberg has been since he turned professional.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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After turning professional earlier this year at the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour, Åberg made the cut and finished in a tie for 25th place. Shortly thereafter, at the John Deere Classic, he recorded his first top-10 on the tour, finishing only three strokes behind winner (and teammate), Sepp Straka.

Because the strong showing on the PGA Tour didn’t secure a spot on the European Team, Åberg traveled abroad to compete on the DP World Tour. Hours before his ninth tournament as a professional, Åberg was tapped to join Team Europe and solidified his pick with his first win as a professional at the Omega European Masters. And Åberg still hasn’t come off the gas pedal.

Yesterday, Rory and Viktor played with Åberg in the first round of the BMW PGA Championship, and the Swede outscored his teammates with a four-under-par 68, despite a double bogey on the 17th. The performance has garnered praise from both of his playing partners:

“Everyone talks about what a great driver of the golf ball he is and. … which he is. The ball-striking is incredible,” McIlroy said of Aberg while noting he even exceeded his already high expectations. “But I was really impressed with his wedge play and how he can sort of control his trajectory with shorter clubs. I was on the bandwagon before. Certainly at the front of it now.”

Viktor voiced similar praise for Åberg, noting “He’s super talented and he is going to be around a long time. He’s going to do great things.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Although Åberg has not yet played in a Major, he seems to be settling in on the big stage. Indeed, just prior to the BMW PGA Championship, Åberg and Hovland allegedly beat Rory and Fleetwood in a best ball match.

As noted above, Åberg’s greatest weapon is his driver, so we can expect that he’ll be playing with someone who’s approach and short game will complement him, perhaps Justin Rose—who would also add a veteran’s touch.

Fortunately, the 2023 Ryder Cup is only 2 weeks away, so we don’t wait to see much longer how Team Europe will stand up.

Cover Image via Twitter