Rising star Ludvig Aberg’s first tournament since turning pro has finished with a creditable seven-under at the RBC Canadian Open. The Swede earned his PGA Tour card last month after finishing top of the PGA Tour University rankings, but he has wasted little time in making an excellent impression with his new status.
The 23-year-old followed up solid rounds of 69, 72 and 71 with another 69 in the final round that finished with three successive birdies.
The day began strongly for Aberg, with a birdie at the par 4 first followed by two pars. His first bogey of the day came at the fourth, while another came at the 10th. He recovered well, though, with his second birdie at the 12th before that stunning run over the last three holes that saw him back at the clubhouse inside the top 25.
Aberg explained he was happy with his performance, too, particularly that strong finish. He said: "I'm pleased with how I played. Pleased with how I finished today especially. Obviously, as a competitor it's always stuff that you want to improve on and that stuff. But it was cool. It was fun. Obviously a lot of new experiences and a lot of new, with the whole new environment. But I really enjoyed it and looking forward to the next one."
There are high hopes for Aberg following a glittering amateur career. He finished top of the year-long PGA Tour University rankings with victory in the NCAA D-I National Championship at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. That handed him the honour of becoming the first player to gain a spot on the PGA Tour straight out of college.
Meanwhile, at the time he turned pro, Aberg was top of the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and last month, he became only the second player to win the Ben Hogan Award two years running, emulating the achievement of Jon Rahm.
Before the RBC Canadian Open, Aberg had appeared on the PGA Tour four times, with his best finish being a tie for 24th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. His performance at Oakdale Golf and Country Club will only enhance his reputation as one of the most promising young players on the circuit.
Aberg’s career trajectory bears similarities with Rose Zhang’s in the women’s game. The 20-year-old made her pro debut in last week’s Mizuho America’s Open and won. While Aberg hasn’t quite managed that feat this week, his performance still represents an eye-catching achievement for a player who appears to have an outstanding career to look forward to.
