Ludvig Aberg further proved why he has long been considered a future superstar on the PGA Tour as the Swede produced a back nine masterclass to win the Genesis Invitational on Sunday at Torrey Pines.
There were a host of names who seemed to be poised to make a Sunday charge at the Genesis Invitational, with Torrey Pines always likely to trip the overnight leaders at some stage.
It quickly became clear that it would not be Rory McIlroy as frustration got the better of him early on. Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler‘s charge came to an end with a bogey on the 16th hole – moments after he had holed out from the bunker on 15.
Maverick McNealy appeared to have the tournament won at one stage. However, Ludvig Aberg made six birdies in his final 13 holes to clinch his second PGA Tour win.
What Ludvig Aberg has been tipped to do after winning the Genesis Invitational
Aberg has been knocking on the door for some time. However, he failed to win in 2024. And he fell away – albeit due to illness – after leading after the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines earlier this year.
But Sunday showed why Tiger Woods has been so impressed by Aberg. And speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast, Johnson Wagner suggested that he now believes that the youngster will be the man to replace Scheffler at golf’s summit at some stage.
“I think honestly, I don’t know when this is going to happen, maybe three years from now, but I think he is going to be the next number one player in the world after Scottie Scheffler is dethroned. It will be because of Ludvig Aberg,” he said.
“I don’t want to put a number on majors. I thought Rory, honestly, should be at 10 and maybe if he hired Steve Williams when he fired JP he would be at 10 but he’s still stuck at four. So I don’t want to put a number on it, but it would not surprise me at all to see him get into that Brooks Koepka category of five majors and then beyond.”
How Ludvig Aberg has already silenced doubts from Tiger Woods’ former coach
Many have been high on Aberg for some time. He made an unbelievable start to his professional career, making his Ryder Cup debut within a couple of months. And he marked his first start in the majors by finishing second at the Masters in 2024.
But there were some doubts creeping in about him. Hank Haney suggested Aberg was being overhyped, insisting that he needed to win something before he would be convinced.
The major win still needs to come, but winning a signature event around Torrey Pines is a pretty big statement.
And it seems that Wagner is convinced that the majors may not be too far away.
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