There were no indications of Ryder Cup rust on Ludvig Aberg.
Aberg achieved a 5-under 67 at the Sanderson Farms Championship and is currently tied for 11th after the first round. At Marco Simone Golf & Country Club last week, he gained two points for the victorious European team.
Chesson Hadley is in the lead after shooting an 8-under 64.
“I’ll admit that I was a little worn out as the day started, but I also knew what I was capable of, and it was exciting to see that come through. No matter the competition or the circumstance, it’s always wonderful to get off to a good start.” Aberg said.
Aberg bogeyed the third par-5 but recovered by making the turn with three birdies. On the back nine, he added three more shots. Aberg’s stats were spectacular as usual; he ranked first in strokes gained from tee to green and averaged more than 332 yards from the tee.
However, the 23-year-old acknowledged having a “kind of weird” day on the greens. At the completion of the first round, he was ranked 100th in Strokes Gained: Putting, but he almost added two closing birdies to his scorecard by missing putts of 18 feet and 38 feet by a mere inch.
“Just one of those days, really. I tried to approach it that way, keep to my routines, and make sure that I do all these things well that I can control. Last week, when we were playing match play, it was more like a sprint. Here, it’s more like a marathon.” Aberg said.
Aberg is making his ninth PGA TOUR appearance this week after becoming professional at the RBC Canadian Open in June. He took home a captain’s pick from Luke Donald to play for the European team in Rome after winning the Omega European Masters on the DP World Tour. Aberg, who won the PGA TOUR University rankings earlier this year, is exempt from the PGA TOUR in 2024, but he still has plenty to play for this week and the rest of the FedExCup Fall.
According to the FedExCup standings, he is currently 136th. A spot in THE PLAYERS is earned by finishing inside the top 125 at the end of the FedExCup Fall, and if he finishes between Nos. 51 and 60, he will be eligible for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational.
A spot in the Masters will be his if he breaks the top 50 in the world (Aberg is now 80th) or wins on the PGA TOUR before the end of the year; winning also gets him into The Sentry.
A spot in the Masters will be his if he breaks the top 50 in the world (Aberg is now 80th) or wins on the PGA TOUR before the end of the year; winning also gets him into The Sentry.
For the young Swede at the Ryder Cup, it was a week unlike any other. Not bad for someone who has never played in a major championship, but he claimed to be laser-like focused on having a successful week back on the PGA TOUR.
Aberg said it has been “pretty cool” to witness the recognition for his early PGA TOUR achievements. He said many people in Mississippi have been complimenting him this week after his performance at the Ryder Cup last week.
Despite all that occurred before and during the tournament last week, he claimed that his physical health is fine and that his level-headed mindset will continue to be crucial.
“No matter how I score, I strive to maintain a pretty impartial tone. I want to believe that whether I’m 6 over or 6 under, I’ll approach the shot the same way. I make an effort to hit every shot as hard as I can before assessing my progress. I’ve been working on it for a while now, and maybe I can continue to do so.” Aberg said.
Friday at 8:55 a.m. ET, Aberg will have a quick turnaround at The Country Club of Jackson.
