07 December 2023 , 22:53
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After his Sea Island Golf Course victory, PGA Tour golfers are reportedly worried Ludvig Aberg may be the 'next Tiger Woods'. Media at the competition overheard several PGA stars discussing Aberg's prowess.
One unnamed golfer was allegedly heard saying: "There is no world where we'd be able to beat Ludvig on a consistent basis" as another added: "I didn't really know who he was. After playing six holes with him, I thought he was the next f***ing Tiger Woods."
Aberg, a rookie on the PGA Tour, has already made a significant impression on established players and is being compared to Woods. Despite only being on the PGA Tour for six months, the 24-year-old Swedish golfer has already got rival golfers worried about his potential.
He recently won the RSM Classic, securing his first PGA Tour title. He finished 29 under par after shooting back-to-back rounds of 61 over the last two days' play. Although this was Aberg's first tour title, he has achieved significant milestones since turning professional in June 2023.
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Former No. 1 ranked golfer Luke Donald challenged Aberg to prove his worth for Europe's Ryder Cup team with a wildcard spot, leading Aberg to return to Europe and compete in DP World Tour events. After finishing fourth in his first event, he bagged his first professional win at the European Masters.
Donald was convinced by Aberg's performance and included him in his team at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome. He gave him a wildcard spot over top player Adrian Meronk despite Aberg having never played in a major - a first in history. Aberg remained unbeaten in four matches over the three-day event, winning two and drawing two.
"We obviously knew what he was doing in the college scene," Donald said ahead of the Ryder Cup to SkySport. "You look at what he did in those four years; the only comparables were Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm. He is that good. I played with him in Detroit and was blown away by his game. He continued to impress, and I challenged him to come over to Europe and play a couple [of events]," Donald continued. "I really do have a lot of faith and belief in Ludvig."
Ludvig Aberg hits off the seventh tee during the final round of the RSM Classic (AP)"He is a generational player; he is going to be around a long time, and he's going to do amazing things. If he were not going to play this one, he would play the next eight Ryder Cups; that is how good I think he is."
His tour victory at the RSM Classic has bumped him up to 32nd in the world rankings, and he still has not played in a major. His moment is likely to come next April when, barring injury, he will almost certainly be part of the field at Augusta National competing for The Masters.