AUGUSTA – Rookie Ludvig Åberg of Sweden made his mark at the Masters after finishing as the runner-up in his major championship debut.
“Playing here at Augusta National is a dream come true,” he said after Sunday's final round. “Just to be in this situation and feel the nerves and feel the pressure walking down the last couple holes is what you dream of. This is what I have been wanting to do for such a long time, and it's quite surreal to actually have the opportunity to experience it.”
Despite it being his first time at Augusta National Golf Club, Åberg said he’s not surprised about his level throughout this week.
“I think as a competitor, you should expect those things from yourself,” he said. “And that's the same with me. I felt like coming into this week, I was playing well and I was swinging the way I wanted to. But, you know, there's so much more to golf. There's a lot of things that needs to come together, and I felt like we did a lot of golf stuff the last couple of weeks.”
Åberg credits his positive attitude for his lack of nerves this week, which was evident in his upbeat demeanor on the course.
“We felt like we did a great job,” he said. “It's a fine balance between being aggressive to the right spots and not being overly aggressive. Because you can put yourself in some really tough, tricky spots. I felt like we did a good job all week of making sure that at least you have a chance of getting up and down and all these things.”
Åberg headed into the final round 4-under par and three shots away from the lead in solo fourth place. He slowly climbed to the top of the board after three birdies on his first nine holes.
At several points Sunday, he shared the lead with Scottie Scheffler, Colin Morikawa and Max Homa.
The tables started to turn for Åberg after a shot in the water on hole 11 left him with a double bogey. He recovered back to 7 under with birdies on 13 and 14.
“Obviously, it wasn't ideal to hit it in the water on 11, I think we all know that,” Åberg said. “I mean, I felt like me - me and my team, we've focused a lot on just keep playing no matter what happens. I think if you just keep playing, skills are going to show up. I think once you stop playing, that's when you - the skills are not showing up, and I think we did a great job of that. It was a good example of just keep playing, just to make sure to keep the ball in front of you, and there's a lot of holes left to be played. I think me finishing well after those couple holes were pretty encouraging to see.”
It’s not only Åberg’s first time at the Masters but also his first time competing for a major title after turning pro last year. He was the top-ranked amateur in the world by the time he graduated from Texas Tech in June.
While Åberg stayed focused during every hole, he took the time to enjoy the moment while walking between each shot, he said.
“All I'm trying to do is really enjoy it,” Åberg said on Friday afternoon. “It's my first time here at Augusta National. It's a privilege to be here and play this event, and that's what I'm trying to do for the rest of the week.”
From here, his biggest focus is getting a major title, and his success this week serves as a solid jumping-off point for the rookie.
“Everyone in my position, they are going to want to be major champions,” Åberg said. “They are going to want to be world No. 1s, and it's the same for me, and that's nothing different. It's been that way ever since I picked up a golf club, and that hasn't changed. So I think this week solidifies a lot of those things are there, and we just need to keep doing those things and put ourselves in positions to win tournaments.”
