It takes years, even decades, for most graduates to climb to the top of an industry. Hurdles are leapt, hoops jumped through and learning curves overcame. Only then will strong performances lead to a rise within in the hierarchy. That’s the trajectory of most, but at just 24 years of age, Ludvig Åberg has already proven he is not like most.
The young Swede arrived as a PGA Tour member just six months ago after becoming the first player to finish atop the inaugural PGA Tour University Rankings. He had won four of his last seven collegiate events and swept the top NCAA honors by claiming the Jack Nicklaus Award, Ben Hogan Award and the Haskins Award. By nabbing all three, the Texas Tech standout became the seventh man reach that achievement.
Expectations were high for those in the know. A pair of top 25s in his first two professional starts set the stage for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where Åberg drew a pairing with European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald the first two days. He opened 65-67 and flew onto the Englishman’s radar.
“When I played with him in Detroit, he was a cool 9 under through 16 holes like it was nothing,” Donald told Golf Digest. “He just went about his business. He made everything look very simple. He plays with good speed and doesn’t overcomplicate anything. He and his caddie seem to have a good thing going. And he hits a lot of quality shots. I could see right away that a lot of good things were going to happen for this kid.
“The first drive there was on a tricky par 4 that doglegs left. Ludvig hit it absolutely on a string on the correct line. It wasn’t easy for him. I’ve played with a lot of contenders this year and some have not played that well with me looking at them. But he didn’t have any problem.”
Donald still needed to see more from Åberg to use a captain’s pick on a relatively unknown quantity. So, when Donald asked for him to come play in Europe, Åberg answered with a top five at the Czech Masters and his first professional victory at the European Masters the next week. The following Monday, Åberg was selected for the European team, making him the first player to compete in a Ryder Cup before a major championship.
His stock continued to rise in Rome as he was featured alongside his Scandinavian counterpart, Viktor Hovland, in team sessions. The two set the tone early and delivered a near knockout punch to the American side in the form of a 9&7 drubbing of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and five-time major champion Brooks Koepka. The beatdown set the Ryder Cup record for the largest margin of victory for an 18-hole match.
“The Ryder Cup is so different from any sporting golf event that you can think of. It’s almost like golf on steroids,” Åberg told Smylie Kaufman. “Everything kind of becomes easier after that. I think for me playing the Ryder Cup with everything that comes with it definitely helped me. I vividly remember. I played in Rome and then the week after I go to Mississippi in Jackson, and I go ‘Whoa, this is quite easy if you compare to last week.’ I’m not saying it was easy, but it felt easier at least to cope with the crowds and people and fans.
“It was just a new experience for me. I learned a lot from it … just putting yourself in that environment. You know, Viktor [Hovland] and I won a couple matches, and I think that was pretty cool. It kind of validated that, you know, I can do it and I am able to do that against one of the best players in the world. I think I took a lot from that with me, and hopefully I will be able to do that over next year and use those experiences to my advantage.”
The experiences converged for Åberg at the final event of the 2023 PGA Tour season, where more records would fall. Closing 61-61 at the RSM Classic, Åberg ran away from a field of veterans to claim his first PGA Tour victory. In doing so, he set the record for lowest total in Rounds 3 and 4 of a PGA Tour event and lowest 54-hole total over Rounds 2-4. He also tied the PGA Tour record for lowest 36-hole score over any two rounds, while his 72-hole total of 253 similarly matched a four-round scoring record.
All these firsts, all these records and all these trophies came in a tiny six-month window, not in the prime of Åberg’s career or in his most seasoned year but at the onset — the same season he considered the Big 12 Men’s Golf Championship (which he won) the biggest event in April.
What can Ludvig Åberg do next?
Well, for starters, he will get a full season under his belt. Trips to Kapalua and Pebble Beach have been secured, and a consistent diet of high-level competition will only make Åberg better. The California, Florida and Texas swings will all be new, but he’s proven he can dissect a golf course on his first attempt making his prospects at major championships all the more intriguing.
A prodigious driver of the golf ball, Åberg finished his PGA Tour rookie season first in total driving and second in strokes gained off the tee. The big stick makes all the headlines, but it is worth noting Åberg also finished first in terms of birdie average, par-4 scoring and par-5 scoring in a limited sample size.
This performance across 11 tournaments was enough for oddsmakers to move him as low as 14-1 to win the 2024 Masters behind only the top four players in the world: Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland. It would be both surprising and unsurprising if Åberg becomes the first debutant in 45 years to win at Augusta National.
If a significant run at the green jacket does materialize, then parallels to recent major championship careers would inevitably come into view in regards to pace, not necessarily quantity. McIlroy claimed all four of his major championships in his first 25 starts. Jordan Spieth won three in his first 19 major championships. Collin Morikawa grabbed his pair in his first eight major starts.
It is rare for a player’s major championship career to coincide with the opening of his major championship window. Often there is heartbreak, close calls, bad bounces and missed cuts, but at 24, Åberg has already proven his career is not like most.