Ludvig Aberg: 5 reasons he’s Europe’s next superstar

Ludvig Aberg. He’s the name dominating the world of golf right now and with good reason.

The Swedish prodigy picked up his maiden professional win in superb fashion at Crans Montana, shooting a final round 64 to beat off seasoned competition.

If you’ve been paying attention, that win is far from a surprise. Aberg led the PGA Tour University standings at the end of his time as an amateur, securing his PGA Tour status until the end of 2024.

Born in 1999, Aberg is one of several young talents emerging in golf right now, but there’s something about the Swede that is just different.

While it’s easy and sometimes irresponsible to heap pressure on young talents, it’s something that Aberg has dealt with his whole life, and it certainly doesn’t seem to be slowing him down.

He looks set for the top of the professional game, and there’s several reasons that point to him being a star in the future.

1. Pressure is no barrier

From what we’ve seen so far, the Swede thrives under pressure. The bigger the moment, the better. He certainly knows how important his win was at the Omega European Masters, because everyone told him how important it was.

‘Win this week, and you’ll be impossible for Luke Donald to ignore,’ was the consensus before play got underway, and that seemed to spur him on rather than slow him down.

He opened the week with a 64 and closed it with a 64, to jump ahead of Matt Fitzpatrick, who looked set to claim victory.

It’s a trait that goes back to his days as a student at Texas Tech.

After earning his PGA Tour card, he told college media that he felt slightly overwhelmed at times, but that it’s just part of the game.

“Naturally, you’re going to be a little bit overwhelmed, but also I try to view it as, it’s just a part of the game,” he explained.

“If you look at the Rorys (McIlroy) and the D.J.s (Dustin Johnson) and the Scotties (Scheffler), that’s what they do and it’s a part of the sport.

“It’s not only to go out and play golf, but you should be able to handle everything around it too.”

If he’s feeling the pressure, he’s yet to show it.

2. His game doesn’t have a weakness

Whether you look at Aberg’s stats or you simply watch him play, one thing is obvious. His game is about as well-rounded as they come.

Data Golf, who have been tracking Aberg’s progress since his college days, list him as being the 54th best player in the world. When a large amount of Aberg’s data comes from college events, it’s a ringing endorsement.

He hits the ball a mile, with an average over various tours at around 320 yards, and it’s straight too. If you want to compete at the top level, distance is essential and he has it in spades.

His iron play is solid. While it isn’t Aberg’s strongest suit, when it does fire, he’s going to shoot low scores. In his first win in Switzerland he gained over two shots per round with his approach play over the field, ranking second.

He’s also not afraid to get hot with the putter, either. He games an Odyssey White Hot Versa blade and while he was around the field average on the greens at Crans Montana, he’s averaged less than 29 putts per round over his 12 PGA Tour starts.

If you go by the eye test, then one look at Aberg’s swing should tell you there’s no issue here either. Effortless power is something every golfer craves. Aberg certainly has it.

The best drivers make it look so easy.

Ludvig Aberg was the only player on TOUR to average at least 315 yards off the tee while hitting at least 60% of his fairways this season (min. 25 rounds).pic.twitter.com/JigqppTZwi

— Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin) September 1, 2023

If he has a weakness in his game, we’re yet to find it.

3. He’s ambitious

Coming from Eslov in the south of Sweden, if Aberg wanted to practice in the winter, it meant clearing snow from the driving range. That would put most off, but not him.

That practice, which Aberg says started to seriously take place at the age of 13, had one goal in mind. Wins.

Speaking to the DP World Tour earlier this year, he laid out his ambitions.

“In the next three years, I would love to be a winner on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.

“I would love to be a top-ten player in the world and I would love to play the Ryder Cup.”

For a man who, at the time had been a pro for a few weeks, it’s an ambitious list, but right now it looks like a conservative target.

4. He’s smart about improving his game

Stats on your game is something readily available to the best players in the world, but for college golfers, it can be a challenge.

For Aberg, playing without knowing how his game stacked up against others simply wasn’t an option. During his time at Texas Tech, Aberg, who studied economics at college, would methodically work out his strokes gained stats after each tournament, before writing a journal detailing his thoughts on his performance that week. Things like how he felt over certain shots made up most of his diary entries.

After his first taste of playing in front of big crowds, the Nordea Masters, where he made the cut as an 18-year-old, Aberg wrote in his journal that he was more nervous than normal, but that being nervous is normal and only impacts him if he lets it.

Clearly, that’s a quality he still possesses.

5. He’s a serial winner

The hardest part of professional golf? Winning.

As we’ve already seen, that’s not an issue for Aberg, winning just a few months into his pro career, but it’s something he’s done throughout his young career. Prolifically.

Take the Big 12 Men’s Championship for example, a college tournament which includes 12 of the most competitive schools in the USA.

Playing in that event, one of his final as a student, Aberg dominated a field to win by eight shots in terrible weather.

That was his second consecutive win in the end of season event. Earlier in his final year at college, he won The Prestige, another event where the best of the best compete. Like the Big 12, it was another successful defence of his title.

Aberg’s willingness to win is something Greg Sands is fully aware of. The coach, who has worked with plenty of young golfing talent, tells a story about Aberg at a college tournament.

He told the Swede, in a move that might be detrimental to other players, that the putt he faced needed to go in for his team to be victorious.

“You could see that focus hone in. He knew what he needed to do,” Sands told the PGA Tour.

“He loved the opportunity it presented and loved the fact that he got it done. I think that speaks to his ability to, so to speak, want the ball at the end of the game.

“He wants the putt. He wants the big shot.”

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor