Ludvig Aberg Explains Scottish Open Disappointment And Thanks Henrik Stenson Ahead Of Open Debut

Aberg is preparing for his Open bow after turning pro last year and refuses to be dishearten by his collapse at the Renaissance Club

Ludvig Aberg speaks to the media at the 152nd Open and an inset of him in the rough
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Ludvig Aberg has made golf seem so ridiculously easy since turning pro, it is almost hard to imagine him facing many problems.

But the Swede admits his once reliable driver has gone off the boil and says he is now working daily to solve the issue, which helped cost him the Scottish Open title at the weekend.

It is far from ideal preparation for Aberg's first Open bid this week at Royal Troon - having been inspired watching Swedish compatriot Henrik Stenson win there in 2016.

European Ryder Cup hero Aberg, 24, only turned pro last June but has already won on the PGA and DP World Tours - banking him over $11million in prize money. He was on course to notch another win at the Scottish Open but a final round 73 cost him as Bob MacIntyre prevailed instead. 

Aberg assessed: "Over the last couple of weeks, I've had this - it's basically the same issue. As a golfer, you're always going to have tendencies that you work towards. It kind of progressed and got a little bit worse over the tournament.

"I'd say I got away with it a little bit more Friday and Saturday, but the tendencies were still there. Kind of like coming under it, behind it, flipping it, and it's not a very nice place to hit drivers from.

"I'm working on the tendencies. I'm trying to score as well as I can. Sometimes you get away with a little bit more, and sometimes you get a little bit more exposed. I think Sunday was a good example of when I wasn't in the fairway, it was tough. Being better off the tee would have been a little bit easier, obviously, to score a better score."

Aberg says he and his coach will now get back to working on the issue in the early stages of this week before the first round at Troon on Thursday.

Aberg & Jack Clarke caddie

Ludvig Aberg at the Ryder Cup with his caddie

(Image credit: Getty Images)

He added: "Me and my coach, we use the term of like brushing your teeth. You do it every day, and you try to work on it a little bit, a little bit, a little bit so you don't get too far off on one side or the other. That's what we're trying to do.

"Monday through Wednesday we've got a little bit more time, and obviously during the tournament days, you do that as well. It's not like I'm reinventing the swing or anything like that. It's the same tendencies I've had for a long time. You just need a little bit of a push in the right direction, and that's the case."

Last time the Open was at Troon on the Ayrshire coast, Stenson won a thrilling duel with Phil Mickelson to emerge triumphant on -20 to give Sweden its first male Major champion.

Aberg said: "That day should be a national holiday in Sweden. It was a very cool day. I vividly remember watching that with my friends, and it's cool to see what he's done for Swedish golf, and he's doing, so obviously it was the pinnacle of that."

James Nursey
Contributor

James Nursey is a freelance contributor to Golf Monthly after spending over 20 years as a sports reporter in newspapers. During a 17-year career with the Daily Mirror, he covered mainly football but reported from The Open annually and also covered a Ryder Cup and three US Opens. He counts a pre-tournament exclusive with Justin Rose at Merion in 2013 as one of his most memorable as the Englishman went on to win his first Major and later repeated much of the interview in his winner’s speech.  Now, after choosing to leave full-time work in newspapers, James, who is a keen single-figure player, is writing about golf more.  His favourite track is the Old Course after attending St Andrews University but has since played mainly at Edgbaston, where he is on the honours board. He is an active member of the Association of Golf Writers and Press Golfing Society but his favourite round is playing the game with his children. James is currently playing:  Driver: Ping G400 3 wood: Ping i20 Hybrid: Ping i20 Irons: Ping i500 4-SW Wedges: Ping Glide forged 50, 56 Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour Ball: Titleist ProVI