At the Rocket Mortgage Classic, heads have been turned by young Swedish professional, Ludvig Aberg, with the 23-year-old paired alongside European Ryder Cup Captain, Luke Donald.
Firing rounds of 65 and 67, the Swede did card a third round of 73 to drop him out of contention, but the impact made by Aberg has been heard all round the golfing inner circle, with Donald extremely impressed by the performance at Detroit CC, so much so that Aberg is being reportedly considered for the Ryder Cup in September.
Nick Dougherty of Golf Channel said he talked to Euro Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald about Ludvig. "He told me there have only been a few [players] that he's played with for the very first time that have the 'wow' factor. One of them is Rory. That was back in 2008 at the Dunhill…July 1, 2023
According to CBS's Kyle Porter on Twitter, "Nick Dougherty said he talked to Euro Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald about Ludvig," with Porter further tweeting: "He told me there have only been a few (players) that he's played with for the very first time that have the 'wow' factor. One of them is Rory. That was back in 2008 at the Dunhill Links.
"Now he says Ludvig Aberg is one of those guys as well. He said his driver is a huge weapon, he makes the game look effortless. He added that, as long as he continues to show form, he will definitely be considered for the (Ryder Cup) team... This guy is going to be a superstar."
As mentioned, Aberg was paired with Donald for the opening two rounds of the tournament, with the 23-year-old carding a first round of 65 which included seven birdies and an eagle.
Aberg during his professional debut
After a stellar college career at Texas Tech, Aberg only turned professional at the start of June, but has had two top 25 finishes and some stunning rounds that suggest he could be a viable option for Marco Simone when the tournament comes around in just a few months time.
There's no denying that, within the European side at least, there is somewhat a transition going on following the decision of LIV's European players to resign their memberships of the DP World Tour. Although unclear who will be amongst the 12-man squad in September, Donald will have six automatic spots and six Captain’s Picks, so there is plenty of potential for the Englishman to include a number of Rookies.
