Ludvig Åberg looks to build off Ryder Cup triumph at Sanderson Farms Championship

Ludvig Åberg had just one thing on his mind when he returned to America after two months away – a trip that included a champagne-soaked triumph at the Ryder Cup.

“Oh,” Åberg said on Tuesday, “definitely going to have Chipotle tonight.”

Priorities, right?

Alas, the team bonding and the big win and the global-stage spotlight was last week. It’s a new week and a new opportunity as Åberg is set to tee it up at the Sanderson Farms Championship – his eighth TOUR start since turning pro at the RBC Canadian Open in June.

Åberg, who won the Omega European Masters on the DP World Tour before earning one of Luke Donald’s captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup, has missed only one cut as a pro. His best result on TOUR was a tie for fourth at the John Deere Classic.

“I’m going to be nervous on Thursday morning no matter what. I’m going to view it as the most important thing in the world as I’m standing on the tee box,” Åberg said. “I’m here this week and that’s where my focus is.”

Remarkably, Åberg played on the Ryder Cup without ever having teed it up at a major championship. Despite his lack of big-stage experience, that didn’t seem to bother Donald.

“I think he's a generational player,” Donald said when his captain’s picks were announced. “If he wasn't going to play this one, he's going to play the next eight Ryder Cups. That's how good I think he is.”

Åberg shined at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. He went undefeated in Foursomes alongside FedExCup champion Viktor Hovland. One of those triumphs was a record-setting 9 & 7 victory over Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka. Team Europe defeated the Americans 16.5-11.5.

“We had a really fun night on Sunday,” Åberg said of the victory party. “It was really cool to be part of. Those are the things that you dream of as a kid and especially as a young boy in Sweden growing up. That’s what you want to be part of.

“I don’t think I’ll ever want to miss one again in the future.”

Åberg is ranked 80th in the world and, thanks to topping the PGA TOUR University Ranking this year, is ensured TOUR status for 2024. But there are still a few important things that he can play for through the FedExCup Fall.

Currently, Åberg is 136th in the FedExCup standings, and if he finishes in the top 125 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Fall he’ll earn a spot in THE PLAYERS. If he finishes between Nos. 51-60 in the FedExCup he will earn spots in the first two Signature Events in 2024 following The Sentry – the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational. If Åberg cracks the top 50 in the world ranking or wins at some point during the FedExCup Fall, he will earn a spot in the Masters. A TOUR victory will also get him into The Sentry, the first Signature Event of the season.

Despite Åberg’s whirlwind week in Rome, he was excited at the opportunity to tee it up in Mississippi. Selfishly, he said, he wants to experience as many different golf courses and tournaments as he can. He wanted to honor his commitment to play.

“I’d like to still think I’m young and I can handle it, but obviously really happy to be here,” Åberg said.

The memories of the Ryder Cup last week are still fresh, however. He called the opportunity to tee it up alongside some of the best in the world a dream come true, and Åberg was quick to praise PGA TOUR University which allowed him to accelerate his pro career as soon as his celebrated time at Texas Tech University was completed and eventually earn a Ryder Cup pick.

“For me I owe a lot to PGA TOUR U and what they have done and what they are continuing to do. They are continuing to develop the program, and I know it's going to make college golf better. It's going to make amateur golf better and eventually it's going to make pro golf better, too,” Åberg said. “It's very cool, and I'm lucky to be the first guy to take advantage of this.”

Åberg’s reputation as an elite driver of the golf ball has quickly become the key to his success. His average drive – had he competed for an entire PGA TOUR season – would be right up there alongside Rory McIlroy as the longest on TOUR.

While Justin Rose, a past FedExCup champion, wasn’t quite able to follow Åberg through his college career, he was “very much aware of this European stud” who was about to turn professional.

“He’s the kind of name that you click on his shot tracker you and you go, ‘Oh my God, he hit it 340 down the middle of the fairway and flicked a wedge in,” Rose said. “You follow him with a bit more curiosity because he tends to have a couple weapons that are not necessarily at everybody’s disposal.”

Rose said that Åberg essentially played 75 percent of his professional career with the pressure of trying to make the Ryder Cup team immediately. But with a victory in Switzerland – Åberg birdied four of his final five holes to win the European Masters by two – the day prior to when the captain’s picks were announced, it became a “bit of a no-brainer” for Donald, according to Rose.

The 23-year-old got the pick and was part of a winning Ryder Cup team. A memory for a lifetime. But come Thursday, it’ll be time to try to make another one on the PGA TOUR.

“I still have a lot to play for,” Åberg said, “ and that’s why I’m playing these events in the fall.”