Ludvig Aberg has issued his verdict on Royal Troon after playing The Open Championship venue in a practice round alongside Viktor Hovland this week.
It is almost remarkable to think that Ludvig Aberg will make his Open Championship debut next week after what has been a meteoric rise for the Swede over the last 12 months. It was just over a year ago that the 24-year-old turned professional.
He has since made his debut in the Ryder Cup and marked his major championship bow by finishing second at The Masters, behind Scottie Scheffler. And he was certainly not out of contention heading into the final round of the US Open at Pinehurst.
Aberg is now looking to become the second Swede in a row to win The Open at Royal Troon, with the event returning to the venue of Henrik Stenson’s triumph in 2016.
Ludvig Aberg issues verdict on Royal Troon after practice round
As it turns out, Aberg played in South Ayrshire this week alongside Viktor Hovland. And in his press conference ahead of the Scottish Open, he shared what he thought of the golf course.
“It was great, we had a very uncharacteristic day in Scotland where it was 20 degrees and sunny and no wind, so I don’t think it will be that next week, at least I don’t expect it to be,” he said.
“The golf course was great, it was tough, it was my first time there and I remember a lot of those holes from the last time when Henrik won in 2016. I think that should be a national holiday in Sweden because it was a very cool day.
“The place is really cool, it will be challenging, the back nine and the front nine are a little bit different. Front nine is a little easier and gettable, and then you make the switch around 10 and all of a sudden, you get the wind into your face instead. So it will be a good challenge and looking forward to it.”
A potential contender for The Open
Right now, it feels inevitable that Aberg will have his first major championship victory at some stage – and it would not surprise many if it came in the next few years. He has taken to life on tour incredibly; barely looking at all phased by his Ryder Cup debut in Rome.
Similarly, he looked at home around Augusta National, and the disappointment he felt about his Sunday display at Pinehurst just shows again how far he has come.
He is one of those players who can appear to be playing a completely different golf course to the rest of the field – so many may well be tipping the youngster to shine next week.
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