Ludvig Åberg

Ludvig Noa Åberg (LOOD-vig OH-behr;[4] born 31 October 1999) is a Swedish professional golfer. He is a member of the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.

Ludvig Åberg
Personal information
Full nameLudvig Noa Åberg[1]
NicknameLudde[2][3]
Born (1999-10-31) 31 October 1999
Eslöv, Sweden
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[4]
Weight190 lb (86 kg)[4]
Sporting nationality Sweden
ResidenceLubbock, Texas, U.S.[4]
Career
CollegeTexas Tech University
Turned professional2023
Current tour(s)PGA Tour
European Tour
Former tour(s)Swedish Golf Tour
Professional wins3
Highest ranking58 (15 October 2023)[5]
(as of 22 October 2023)
Number of wins by tour
European Tour1
Other2
Achievements and awards
Annika Sörenstam Trophy2016
Ben Hogan Award2022, 2023
Haskins Award2023
Jack Nicklaus Award2023

Before turning professional in June 2023, Åberg had been ranked number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for a total of 29 weeks.[6] He won the Ben Hogan Award as the best collegiate player in the United States in both 2022 and 2023, and finished on top of the 2022–23 PGA Tour University rankings to earn membership on the tour. Within three months of turning professional, Åberg achieved his first tournament victory on the DP World Tour, at the Omega European Masters, and was a member of the winning European team in the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Early life

Åberg was born on 31 October 1999 in Eslöv, Sweden,[4] to parents Mia and Johan. He has an elder sister named Linnea.[7][8] He was introduced to golf at eight years of age, at the local club, Eslöv Golf Club, by his father, who was a keen golfer.[9][10] He initially was not fond of the game, but his father encouraged him by offering him ice cream if he stayed an extra hour at the course.[11][12]

Åberg also played football until focusing on golf at the age of 13.[13] When he was 15, Åberg earned a place at Filbornaskolan, a sports-specialised boarding school in Helsingborg.[14] He was in the same year group at the school as future Solheim Cup players Maja Stark and Linn Grant.[15]

Amateur career

2016–2019

In 2016, Åberg was awarded the Annika Sörenstam Trophy after winning the Swedish Teen Tour Order of Merit.[16]

Representing Sweden, he was individual leader at the 2017 European Boys' Team Championship,[17] and finished third individually at the 2018 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan. He won the Fairhaven Trophy in 2017.[18] He made his European Tour debut at the 2018 Nordea Masters, where he finished tied 34th.[19]

In 2019, Åberg was runner-up at the African Amateur Stroke Play Championship,[20] and was a member of the winning Swedish team at the 2019 European Amateur Team Championship.[21] Later in the year, he started college at Texas Tech on a golf scholarship, joining the Red Raiders golf team.[22][23] He ended 2019 with a win at the[24] Sun Bowl Marathon All-America Golf Classic.[25]

2020–2021

In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down college golf in the U.S, Åberg spent six months in Europe competing in the Nordic Golf League, where he won two events.[26] In December, he represented the International Team at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup.

In February 2021, Åberg won the Jones Cup Invitational at Sea Island, Georgia after an opening round of 62, earning him a start at the RSM Classic on the PGA Tour.[27] In April, he became the number one ranked amateur in Europe, by the European Golf Association.[28] In June, he was runner-up at the European Amateur.[29]

2022–2023

In the spring of 2022, Åberg turned down a 2-year-contract from the newly established LIV Golf League worth US$2,500,000.[30]

In April 2022 he won the individual title at the Big 12 Men's Golf Championship.[31] In May 2022, he was named the Ben Hogan Award winner, as the best college player in the United States. In September 2022, he represented Sweden at the 2022 Eisenhower Trophy, where his team finished second and he tied 7th individually. He rose to number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for the first time on 21 September 2022.[6]

Åberg earned an invitation to compete in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour in January 2023 through leading the PGA Tour University rankings in autumn 2022.[32] In Dubai, he held a share of the lead after the first round.[33] In February 2023, he won The Prestige for a third consecutive year. In March, he received a sponsor exemption to the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour, where he finished in tied 24th place.[34][35] In April 2023, he broke the scoring record at the Big 12 Men's Golf Championship, to become the first golfer to retain the individual title.[36] In May 2023, he became the second two-time winner of the Ben Hogan Award.[37]

Åberg secured fully exempt status on the PGA Tour through the 2024 season by finishing on top of the 2022–23 PGA Tour University rankings, the first year of this exemption in force. He turned professional in June 2023, ending his amateur career ranked number one on the World Amateur Golf Ranking.[38]

Professional career

Åberg made his debut as a professional in June 2023 at the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour, where he made the cut and finished in a tie for 25th place.[10] In July, at the John Deere Classic, he recorded his first top-10 on the tour; a final-round 63 put him in a tie for fourth place, three strokes behind winner Sepp Straka.[39]

Towards the end of August, Åberg travelled to Europe to compete on the DP World Tour. At the D+D Real Czech Masters, he finished in a tie for fourth place after a final-round 66.[40] The following week at the Omega European Masters, he recorded his first win as a professional. He birdied four of the closing five holes in his final round of 64 to finish two strokes ahead of fellow countryman Alexander Björk.[41] Two weeks later, at the BMW PGA Championship, he held a two-stroke lead after 54 holes,[42] before a final round 76 saw him finish in a tie for 10th place.[43]

Following his victory at the European Masters, on 4 September 2023, Åberg was announced by European captain Luke Donald as one of his six captain's picks for Team Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup.[44] He became the first player to be selected for a Ryder Cup without having played in a major championship,[45] and the second, after Sergio García, to make a Ryder Cup team during the same year as turning professional.[46] He played four matches at the Ryder Cup, tallying a 2–2–0 record, as Europe won the event 161⁄2–111⁄2. In the Saturday foursomes session, he and Viktor Hovland recorded a 9 and 7 victory over world number one Scottie Scheffler and reigning PGA Champion Brooks Koepka,[47] setting a new record for the largest winning margin in an 18-hole Ryder Cup match.[48]

The week after the Ryder Cup, Åberg returned to the PGA Tour and finished as joint runner-up in the Sanderson Farms Championship, losing to Luke List in a five-man playoff.[49]

Amateur wins
  • 2016 Galvin Green Junior Open, Skandia Junior Open
  • 2017 Fairhaven Trophy
  • 2019 Sun Bowl All-America Classic
  • 2021 Jones Cup Invitational, The Prestige, Thunderbird Collegiate
  • 2022 The Prestige, Big 12 Men's Championship
  • 2023 The Prestige, Valspar Collegiate, Big 12 Men's Championship, NCAA Norman Regional

Source:[6]

Professional wins (3)

European Tour wins (1)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
1 3 Sep 2023 Omega European Masters −19 (64-67-66-64=261) 2 strokes Sweden Alexander Björk

Swedish Golf Tour wins (2)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
1 4 Jul 2020 Katrineholm Open
(as an amateur)		 −10 (67-70-69=206) Playoff Sweden Mikael Lindberg
2 16 Jul 2020 Barsebäck Resort Masters
(as an amateur)		 −15 (69-67-68=204) 5 strokes Sweden Mikael Lindberg

Playoff record

PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult
1 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship United States Ben Griffin, United States Luke List,
Sweden Henrik Norlander, United States Scott Stallings		 List won with birdie on first extra hole

Team appearances

Amateur

Source:[6]

Professional

Ryder Cup points record
2023Total
22

References
  1. "Ludvig Aberg, 23 år, Eslöv" [Ludvig Aberg, 23 years, Eslöv]. hitta.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  2. Romine, Brentley (26 September 2023). "Smiling from fast lane, Ludvig Aberg's Ryder Cup legend begins now". NBC. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  3. Setterhill, Tomas (September 2023). "Grattis, Ludvig Åberg" [Congratulations, Ludvig Åberg]. Eslöv Golf Club. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  4. "Ludvig Åberg Bio". PGA Tour. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  5. "Week 41 2023 Ending 15 Oct 2023" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  6. "Ludvig Aberg". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  7. Göransson, Carl (4 June 2023). "Åberg inför proffsdebuten: "Lite overkligt"" [Åberg ahead of the professiobnal debut "A little unreal"]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  8. Bloomquist, Wes (15 May 2022). "Ludvig Aberg A Swede in Texas". Texas Tech Athletics. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  9. "Ludvig Åberg Player Profile". Eslöv Golf Club. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  10. "Ludvig Aberg: Get to know the rising star from Sweden". European Tour. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  11. Williams, Don (26 May 2023). "The climb to the top: College golf's two-time player of year eyes future on PGA Tour". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  12. Kershaw, Tom (10 September 2023). "Ludvig Aberg: How 'new McIlroy' needed ice cream bribes to play golf". The Times. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  13. "No. 1 amateur Ludvig Aberg has markers for success". PGA Tour. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  14. "'He's once in a generation': How Ludvig Aberg rose from obscurity to the Ryder Cup". The Independent. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  15. "Inside the Swedish high school breeding Team Europe's Solheim and Ryder Cup stars". The Independent. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  16. "Annika Sörenstam Trophy". Swedish Golf Federation. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  17. "2017 European Boys Team Championship" (PDF). European Golf Association. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  18. "Svensk golfseger i England av 17-åriga Ludvig Åberg" [Swedish golf victory in England by 17-year-old Ludvig Åberg] (in Swedish). Swedish Golf Federation. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  19. "Nordea Masters 19th August 2018". Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  20. "2019 African Amateur Stroke Play Championship Results". Golf RSA. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  21. "Ludvig Åberg National Team Player Profile". Swedish Golf Federation. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  22. "2020–21 Men's Golf Roster: Ludvig Åberg". Texas Tech. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  23. "Ludvig Aberg: A meteoric rise to the Ryder Cup in a matter of months".
  24. "2020–21 Men's Golf Roster: Ludvig Åberg". Texas Tech. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  25. Williams, Julie (26 November 2019). "Texas Tech's Ludvig Aberg claims Sun Bowl Marathon All-America title". Golfweek. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  26. "Ludvig Åberg Profile". Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  27. Williams, Julie (7 February 2021). "Ludvig Aberg needed a closing birdie to win the Jones Cup and he delivered". Golfweek. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  28. "Men's Rankings". European Golf Association. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  29. "Åberg Breaks Records in Round 2 at Médoc". European Golf Association. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  30. "Svenske golftalangen Ludvig Åberg avslöjar jättebudet från LIV: 26 miljoner kronor" [Swedish golf talent Ludvig Åberg uncover the big offer from LIV] (in Swedish). SVT Swedish Television. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  31. Team, BVMSports (27 April 2022). "Aberg wins Big 12 Golf Championship individual title". BVM Sports. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  32. Herrington, Ryan (23 November 2022). "Texas Tech's Ludvig Aberg finishes fall atop the PGA Tour University rankings, earns invite to the Dubai Desert Classic". Golf Digest. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  33. "Amateur Ludvig Aberg shares first-round lead in Dubai". European Tour. 27 January 2023.
  34. Young, Jim (3 March 2023). "Ludvig Aberg in contention at the Arnold Palmer Invitational". Amateur Golf. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  35. "Aberg finishes Top 25 at Arnold Palmer Invitational". Everything Lubbock. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  36. "Aberg wins second Big 12 title, breaks scoring record". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  37. Jourdan, Cameron (23 May 2023). "Texas Tech's Ludvig Aberg wins 2023 Ben Hogan Award, joins Jon Rahm as only two-time winner". Golfweek. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  38. Leonard, Tod (30 May 2023). "College golfer loses NCAA title, but earns huge perks through PGA Tour University". Golf Digest. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  39. "Texas Tech's Ludvig Aberg has strong finish to John Deere Classic, ties for fourth". Dallas News. Associated Press. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  40. "Clements shoots 63 to win Czech Masters. MacIntyre strengthens Ryder Cup chances". Associated Press News. 27 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  41. "Ludvig Aberg boosts Ryder Cup hopes with impressive DP World Tour win at European Masters". Sky Sports. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  42. "BMW PGA Championship: Ludvig Åberg opens up two-shot lead after third round at Wentworth". Sky Sports. 16 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  43. "Ryan Fox wins BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth after Ludvig Aberg fades". Yahoo! Sport. 17 September 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  44. Tait, Camilla (4 September 2023). "Luke Donald's six Ryder Cup captain's picks". Ryder Cup. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
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  47. "Ludvig Aberg pulls weight on winning Ryder Cup team". Yahoo! Sports. 1 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  48. Martin, Sean (30 September 2023). "Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Åberg set Ryder Cup record in Foursomes rout". PGA Tour. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  49. "Sanderson Farms Championship: Ludvig Åberg misses out as Luke List holes 45-foot putt to win five-man PGA Tour play-off". Sky Sports. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
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