The Ryder Cup is all set to take place in a few hours. No less than mercy can be anticipated from this tough battle, where the best players are vying for the Cup. But there is one player in the European Ryder Cup squad who made history just by being selected for the team: Ludvig Aberg.

Ludvig Aberg is the only player in Ryder Cup history to make the team without even competing in a major. Additionally, he is the second player after Sergio Garcia to qualify for the biennial competition the same year he turned pro. However, what distinguishes him as the best player to win this fame at such a young age? Just as his Ryder Cup captain calls him ‘a generational talent’, let’s look at his impressive portfolio.

Early days of the young golfer

It all started when Ludvig Aberg was just a mere child of eight. Since his father was interested in golf, he used to take baby Aberg with him to the golf course. The intention was not to make young Aberg a professional golfer but just to spend quality time with his son.

But he never knew these little outings would brighten his son’s future. The pro golfer quoted, “Me and my dad went out and played golf at my home club, and I didn’t really like it at first, so he would always bribe me and tell me that if I stayed for another hour, I’d get ice cream or something like that”, as compiled by Sky Sports.

Ludvig Aberg also has a keen interest in soccer. Being a fan of Liverpool F.C., he played central midfielder. But young Aberg soon realized his true calling and totally shifted his entire focus to golf. His hard work started paying off when he was awarded the Annika Sörenstam Trophy in 2016 for winning the Swedish Teen Tour Order of Merit.

The outstanding amateur days of Ludvig Aberg (year-by-year analysis)

2017 was the year when the Swedish golfer started to leave his mark in the amateur realm. He won the Fairhaven Trophy in the same year. He also represented Sweden internationally for the first time. The next year became more interesting for him. Though he didn’t win any trophy that year, he got seventh place in the Juniors Players Championship. And debuted on the European Tour during the 2018 Nordea Master.

Aberg started 2019 with a good start. At the African Amateur Stroke Play Championship, he finished in second place. After that, he made some life-changing decisions. Later, he joined Texas Tech to play collegiate golf in the US. His position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the time of enrollment was 37th. He also won the Sun Bowl Marathon All-America Golf Classic, which was the icing on the cake.

In 2020, Ludvig Aberg got the big opportunity to represent the International Team at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup. In 2021, he won the Jones Cup Invitational after a string of outstanding games. His victory elevated him to the top amateur golfer in Europe. 

Aberg finished with a 3-under in 2022 to claim the Big 12 Men’s Golf Championship. He was given the Ben Hogan Award as a result of his victory. The award signifies that he was the best college player in the US. Again in May 2023, he grabbed the same award and became the second person to win this award consecutively after Jon Rahm. With so much success under his belt, he reached the top spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

He ultimately received a spot on the PGA Tour for the 2024 season after finishing ninth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and earning four victories in 2023.

Stepping into the professional arena

This year, in June, Ludvig Aberg turned professional and participated in his first pro event at the RBC Canadian Open. But soon, in the John Deere Classic, Aberg made his first top-10 finish. He was tied for fourth place.

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With the smooth road of his success, something phenomenal was waiting for him. There are only a few newbies who win their first pro event in the same year they turn pro. But Ludvig Aberg was of a different breed. In the Omega European Masters, Aberg won his first pro event by two strokes.

The victory made him more popular and led Luke Donald to pick him for the Ryder Cup. This is not a small deal because the Ryder Cup is one of the fiercest competitions, and players need to be on their toes the whole year to be a part of it. With just the mere experience of playing professionally and without competition so much with the legends out there, getting selected for the team is a huge deal.

Now that the huge responsibility and dreams of Europeans are on the shoulders of a young 23-year-old golfer, let’s see if Ludvig Aberg will once again dazzle us with his prowess, as he did to his fellow colleague.