After profitable on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour only a few months after turning skilled and taking part in a starring function in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory in Rome, LUDVIG ABERG is already pulling up timber on the most important stage, with the 24-year-old Swede trying destined to turn into the sport’s subsequent international celebrity. Not that this coolest of consumers getting carried away with the hype….
Though you loved a really profitable novice and school profession, have you ever been shocked by how rapidly you’ve discovered success within the skilled sport?
I wouldn’t say shocked. I do know what my qualities are, however I believe what I’ve been shocked by is how rapidly these have proven up at this stage, because it’s clearly a large step up from the place I got here from, taking part in school golf within the US.
It’s similar membership, the identical ball – all these issues – however I really feel like I’ve managed to deal with all the off-course calls for fairly effectively, which has helped me to maintain my deal with the golf course.
The largest distinction for me taking part in school golf versus skilled is simply the sheer quantity of golf you play. Although we performed fairly a busy schedule in school, it’s nothing like what we do on tour, the place you journey rather a lot, you play 4 or 5 weeks in a row and – it’s simply much more golf.
However it’s one thing that I like and revel in. Even once I’m practising, I favor to play golf moderately than hit balls on the vary, because it checks your skill to attain moderately than merely engaged on the mechanics of the swing.
You have been thrown into the deep finish on the Ryder Cup in Rome. What have been your key takeaways from that have?
The Ryder Cup was an enormous studying curve for me. I’d be mendacity if I stated it wasn’t intimidating and extremely nerve-wracking going there as a rookie, however I received to spend time with among the greatest gamers on the planet, so I simply tried to soak all of it up – hearken to the fellows, speak to them and attempt to be taught all I might from them. To be in that group, within the group room, and taking part in and spending time with these guys gave me an actual enhance to my confidence and positively helped me to then have the ability to play good golf for the remainder of the 12 months.
You’ve clearly had such a meteoric rise to the place you might be proper now. Did you’re feeling the burden of expectations in any respect beginning out this 12 months?
I believe there are at all times going to be expectations. It’s form of what you join in skilled sport. I do perceive that it is part of it, however I’m at all times going to have plenty of expectations on myself as effectively. I do know what I wish to obtain, so if I don’t stay as much as that I’m going to be the primary to name myself out on it.
There’s nothing that I can do about all the surface noise, and no matter expectations different folks placed on me. All I can attempt to do is play every event the very best I can and see the place that takes me.
Beginning out the 12 months I sat down with my group and I used to be trying on the schedule and seeing all these unimaginable occasions I used to be going to get to play in, and that was very thrilling. It was only one nice event after one other. Bay Hill, The Gamers, Pebble Seaside, the Genesis, all of the Majors, the listing goes on.
You completed runner as much as Scottie Scheffler in your main championship debut on the Masters. What have been you most happy with in your efficiency that week?
I had performed Augusta as a freshman in school again in 2019, so I used to be not fully unfamiliar with the course, however the entire environment across the Masters is on a special scale, so I used to be fairly nervous coming into the week and I used to be positively shaking a little bit bit on the primary tee!
My caddie, Joe [Skovron], is aware of Augusta just like the again of his hand, in order that was an enormous assist in understanding the place to hit it and the place to not go, however simply taking part in there was such a privilege, and I’m tremendous happy with myself in the way in which I dealt with it and particularly to be in competition going into the again 9 on Sunday.
Hitting it within the water on the 11th gap wasn’t supreme, as that misplaced me plenty of momentum, however I’m happy with the way in which I caught in there. Among the many many issues I took away from Augusta is that it’s very tough to drive issues and to immediately make up in your errors. More often than not you simply must take your drugs and be okay with that. However I felt like that was one of many issues I did effectively was to remain disciplined, keep on the appropriate aspect of the pins, and maintain giving myself probabilities.
That self-discipline appeared to face you in good stead on the US Open, the place you turned the primary rookie to carry the 36-hole lead. How did you’re feeling concerning the week at Pinehurst?
It was an incredible expertise. Pinehurst was clearly very tough, however I felt like I dealt with it fairly effectively. It was robust. I performed within the US Beginner there a few years in the past, so I form of knew a little bit little bit of what to anticipate when it comes to the calls for of the course. It was tremendous difficult and requested plenty of questions when it comes to strategy shot trajectories, top and spin, but in addition when it comes to staying affected person.
I had some freaky issues occur, which value me plenty of pictures, however aside from that, I felt prefer it was an excellent expertise and one which I’ll be taught from and take ahead with me. Match golf doesn’t actually get a lot tougher than that, so I now know what’s wanted to carry out at this stage beneath these sorts of situations. It might not have appeared prefer it at instances, however I actually loved the problem.
You appear to be in a position keep in command of your feelings even when issues aren’t going so effectively. Is that simply the form of individual you might be?
I’m not an indignant individual. I get extra annoyed and dissatisfied with myself. I don’t toss golf equipment. I don’t throw tantrums. I get annoyed with myself if I can’t determine one thing out, and that typically holds me again a little bit bit, however I’m engaged on it.
You’re not at all times going to play excellent golf, so all I attempt to do is maintain my feelings intact – protecting my highs not too excessive and my lows not too low. It doesn’t work for everyone, however that’s how I see it.
How do you’re feeling about your probabilities at The Open Championship at Troon. Do you’ve got any early ideas concerning the course?
I don’t know what it seems to be like, to be sincere. We’re going go the week earlier than the Scottish Open to play it, simply to get a little bit little bit of a scouting journey. We’ve accomplished that for Augusta and Pinehurst as effectively. I believe it’s a great way to do it, simply to get the texture of the bottom and never be in that main setting. Clearly, you’re going to must be ready for something when it comes to the climate when it comes to wind, rain, chilly, scorching, sunny, and so forth. We don’t actually know what to anticipate, so simply be ready for something and ensure we’re prepared.
How excited are you to be representing Sweden on the Summer time Olympics in Paris?
Clearly there’s a super quantity of satisfaction that comes from representing your nation and representing all of the folks again house. It’ll be a really cool expertise.
Ever since I watched Henrik Stenson and David Lingmerth play in 2016 in Brazil, I wished to be part of it. I used to be in highschool on the time, however it was an superior expertise to look at these guys.
I’ve represented Sweden at novice stage and it’s a privilege to signify your nation and put on the blue and yellow colors on my bag and on my garments, soI assume we’ll have plenty of cool reminiscences for a very long time.
THE ABERG FILES
BORN: Eslöv, Sweden
LIVES: Tallahasee, Florida
AGE: 24
TURNED PRO: 2023
WORLD RANKING: 4
PRO APPEARANCES: 34 (29 PGA Tour, 5 DP World Tour)
CUTS MADE: 28
WINS: 2 (2023 RBC Basic, 2023 Omega European Masters)
TOP 10s: 10 PGA Tour, 4 DP World Tour
PRIZE MONEY: PGA Tour $10.83m, DP World Tour €639,662
RYDER CUP APPEARANCES: 1 (2023)
PGA TOUR PERFORMANCE STATS
DRIVING AVERAGE: 308 yards (twenty fifth)
DRIVING ACCURACY: 69% (16)
GREENS IN REGULATION: 68% (23)
PROXIMTY TO HOLE: 35ft (6)
PUTT AVERAGE: 1.75 (63)
AVERAGE SCORE: 69.67 (12)
WHAT’S IN LUDVIG’S BAG?
Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9°)
Fairway woods: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (3 (15°), 5 (18°), 7 (21°)
Irons: Titleist T-100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50°, 54°) Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks Proto (60°)
Putter: Odyssey Works Versa #1
Ball: Titleist Professional V1x
