Don’t let his charm beguile you. Or, his ever-smiling face fool you. Ludvig Aberg can be a beast when he wants to. That is when he is on the green. The 25-year-old drained the first birdie of TGL. Did that thought ever cross his mind? You wouldn’t know even if it did, because there was no nervousness at display. Only a clean swing and a satisfying smile. 

That started the Ludvig Aberg show at SoFi Center. 

A show that even left Tiger Woods smiling and Rory McIlroy gasping. “Doesn’t do anything wrong in his golf swing,” the 15-time major champion said on the broadcast. Actually, Woods was standing behind Aberg when the youngster was taking his practice swing. Watching it intensely surrounded by match officials and media persons.

You could see the joy in his eyes when Aberg rolled a monster putt. The Swedish International, who was still in college when Woods and McIlroy established TMRW Sports, was making the PGA Tour icons applaud his game. There wasn’t much he did wrong, except for hitting into the penalty area on the par-5 2nd. But Ludvig Aberg more than compensated with a monster putt at the par-3 5th, putting his team 5-up. His team, Bay Golf Club, eventually won the first match with a 9-2 thumping of the New York Golf Club.

Woods’s words gave away what many were thinking. “Not gonna stop him from being one of the world’s best.” Aberg started 2025 on a high note, netting a T5 at the Sentry. Last year, the 25-year-old bagged nine top tens, including three runner-up finishes, one of which came at the Masters. Notably, when Aberg debuted at the 2023 Hero Dubai Desert Classic, he was ranked 1964 in OWGR. Currently, he is 6th.

It’s not just Woods; sitting beside him, McIlroy was pumped as well. The Ulsterman has seen more of him at the Ryder Cup. Aberg, paired with Viktor Hovland, on his debut at Rome, thrashed world no.1 Scottie Scheffler and five-time major winner Brooks Koepka to a 9&7 humiliation. McIlroy’s reaction to Aberg’s So-Fi Center blitzkrieg says everything you need to know about this rising star.

Rory McIlroy is relieved that Ludvig Aberg won’t play against him

At Matchplay, Ludvig Aberg is a force to be reckoned with. The Texas Tech product was picked at captain Luke Donald’s nod. He was 23 and was yet to play a major, a first in the Ryder Cup history. But then the one-time PGA Tour winner went on to net two crucial points. It appears Aberg is going to be a mainstay at Bethpage Black as well. 

That makes McIlroy a bit relieved. “I’m just glad he’s European,” the Ulsterman joked. McIlroy is a long-time supporter of the youngster. Last year, the four-time major gushed about the Swedish saying, “The ball-striking is incredible. But I was really impressed with his wedge play and how he can sort of control his trajectory with shorter clubs. I was on the bandwagon before. Certainly at the front of it now.”

While he is relieved that Aberg is European, Rory McIlroy should brace himself that at TGL he would have to face him. On February 17, McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf will go head-to-head against Aberg’s Bay Golf Club. It will be live on ESPN 2 at 7 PM EST.