Rick Shiels has shared whether he believes Ludvig Aberg will win his first major title before Rory McIlroy manages to win his fifth following the dramatic events at the US Open at Pinehurst.
Rory McIlroy has gone nearly 10 years without a major championship victory. He has had plenty of opportunities over the last decade, but at no point has he come closer than the US Open earlier this year when he led Bryson DeChambeau.
At one stage down the back nine on Sunday, McIlroy had a two shot lead over DeChambeau, but bogeys on three of the final four holes saw the Northern Irishman miss out by one – and his anguish was obvious as McIlroy swiftly left the course rather than stay to congratulate DeChambeau.
And of course, the short putts missed on 16 and 18 could haunt McIlroy for the rest of his career, particularly if he does not manage to win another major.
Rick Shiels predicts whether Ludvig Aberg or Rory McIlroy will win a major next
Another player who had a difficult Sunday at Pinehurst was Ludvig Aberg, with the Swede starting the final day with an outside chance of winning his first major. The 24-year-old has made an amazing start to his professional career, impressing so many at the Ryder Cup last year before finishing in the top 12 in two of his first three majors.
He has won on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, and he looks to be a potential superstar. So perhaps it should not be a surprise that Rick Shiels has told The Rick Shiels Golf Show that he believes that Aberg will win a major before McIlroy gets another.
“I do, I really do. I think Aberg’s been absolutely incredible, his mentality, his swing, he just looks the full deal,” he said.
“He could’ve won The Masters, he could’ve won the US Open, he’s only played in three major tournaments so far and he’s knocking on the door a lot, so whether he wins it in the next few years, I’m not sure, but the same question’s with Rory.”
US Open scars may just be a little too deep
McIlroy’s US Open just confirmed once and for all that it is not quality that is stopping him from securing that fifth major. He had not missed a single three-foot putt all season before what happened on 16 in North Carolina.
The difficulty is that McIlroy clearly has no problem winning golf tournaments, but the pressure of a major championship appeared to get the better of him, and it will surely be in the back of his mind if he finds himself in a similar position again.
Aberg clearly has no fear right now, having not picked up many scars in his professional career, so he could be the kind of player who blows the field away if he gets on a hot streak.
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