The European team for the Ryder Cup 2023 includes a number of rookies. One of them is Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg. Aberg made history this year when he became the first player to secure a PGA Tour card based on his performance in college. He finished the season atop the PGA Tour University Rankings, having already made his mark at Texas Tech. In June, he finished tied for 25th in his first professional start at the RBC Canadian Open and posted his first top-ten result as a professional in July with a tied fourth-place finish at the John Deere Classic.
Swede Ludvig Aberg at the 2023 Ryder Cup
Aberg’s achievements in his short professional career so far – and his undeniable talent – have impressed Luke Donald and his team enough to earn him a wild card for Team Europe. The young Swede won his first DP World Tour title at the 2023 Omega European Masters and received a captain’s pick for Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup team the following day. In doing so, he will make history as the first player to compete in a Ryder Cup before competing in a major. He was an avid soccer player as a child, but focused exclusively on golf since the age of 13. He had many successes as a junior and in 2016 he received the Annika Sörenstam Trophy for winning the Swedish Teen Tour Order of Merit. In 2017 he represented Sweden in the European Junior Team Championship and won the Fairhaven Trophy in the same year. In 2018, he made his DP World Tour debut as an amateur at the Nordea Masters, finishing in 34th place (shared).
n 2019, he began his studies at Texas Tech and helped Sweden win the European Amateur Team Championship that same year. A year later, he played on the Nordic Golf League as college sports were paused due to the Covid pandemic, winning twice. He secured the individual title at the 2022 Big 12 Men’s Golf Championship and was awarded the Ben Hogan Award as the top collegiate golfer in the United States. In September 2022, he reached number one in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. In 2023, he defended his title at the Big 12 Men’s Golf Championship, finishing eight strokes out of second place. His overall score of 15 under par broke the previous record of nine under par, set by Rickie Fowler in 2008, earning him the Ben Hogan Award again in 2023 and making him the second player after Jon Rahm to win the award twice. He eventually secured his status on the PGA Tour through the 2024 season after topping the 2022-23 PGA Tour University Rankings, turning professional in June 2023.
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The next European golf star?
In just a few months since his professional debut in June, Ludvig Aberg has made a lasting impression that is unparalleled in recent memory. In just his fourth month as a professional, the Swede was already being touted as one of golf’s upcoming superstars, even before he scored his impressive victory at the Omega European Masters. Despite the undeniable talent he displayed, it was perhaps his composure that stood out most in the glorious sunshine at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club. The 23-year-old Swede surpassed his inexperience and delivered a performance that could only be admired. With his victory, Aberg has catapulted from 200th in the world rankings to 90th and is in the top 50 of the Race to Dubai rankings. For many observers, talk of a possible Ryder Cup wildcard seemed premature, but early indications were that he has a game and technique that can compete with the best in the world. While it’s too early to judge how far Aberg will make it in golf, his composure – displayed in the greatest moment of his professional career to date – will surely be invaluable as interest in him builds in the days, weeks, months and years ahead.
In an interview after the round, Aberg was asked if he thought his first win as a pro would come so soon. Aberg replied, “I always believed I could do it, but it’s pretty cool to actually do it.” Reflecting on his calm personality, he added, “I’ve been asked about it (the Ryder Cup) a lot. I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job of not letting it affect me too much. I just try to play golf and see where this golf takes me. Fortunately, I’m sitting here today with a cup, so it’s taken me pretty far.” Now Aberg will join Rahm – a Major Champion and former World Number One – in golf’s biggest event later this month. The eyes of the sports world will be eagerly watching to see how Europe and Aberg do.
A look inside the rookie’s Ryder Cup bag
From the tee, Aberg relies on the TSR 2 Driver from Titleist. The model from the latest driver series is designed to offer more length and a high degree of accuracy, but its sophisticated design appeals primarily to experienced players. On the fairways, he relies on the Stealth 2 3-wood from TaylorMade. Here, too, distance and control of the ball flight are what count. With a lower center of gravity compared to its predecessor, more length can be generated from the fairway, according to the manufacturer. As a final “weapon” in the long game, the Rookie relies on a Driving Iron from Titleist. The popular hybrid alternatives are being seen more and more frequently on tournament courses, and with success. The Swede relies on the T-MB 718 iron from Titleist. With the 2019 variant of Titleist’s T100 irons, Aberg gets one of the brand’s most popular iron series into his bag. The T-Series blades are not necessarily easy to hit due to thin, forged clubheads, but they promise high precision. Thanks to these advantages, the winner of the Omega European Masters gained 2.24 strokes on the green approaches compared to his fellow players. The irons are complemented by the Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 9 wedges.
When it comes to the putter, the rookie on the Tour and at the Ryder Cup is relying on the Odyssey White Hot Versa in the Blade variant. The eye-catching design of the Versa models seems to convince the rookie. He also relies on the popular Titleist Pro V1x, which will also be used by some of his colleagues and opponents at the Ryder Cup.
