Ludwig Aberg quickly established himself as a rising star on the PGA tour. Credit: Getty Images/Logan Whitton
Former Luke Donald -mate team urged European captain to pick 'Killer' Ludwig Aberg as a wildcard for next month's Ryder Cup despite the rookie having only played seven tournaments in the professional ranks .
Aberg has scored six under-66 players. on Friday he will move up to the under 10 category and enter the fight halfway through the Czech Masters, the penultimate tournament in the qualifying race for the match in Rome. The 23-year-old couldn't automatically reach the top six in the standings even if he were to win Prague on Sunday and then at the European Masters next weekend.
But having made a great start to his career on the PGA Tour — after joining the payroll ranks in June — Aberg is well aware that a couple of impressive performances could get Donald to shake hands.
Phil Rowe, who played with Donald on the 1999 Walker Cup winning team, knows that Aberg captained the team in the Palmer Cup in Europe's victory over the US three years ago and believes the former World No. 1 amateur will be of great benefit to the hosts. fields when they try to stop the Americans. winning on European soil for the first time in 30 years.
Rowe, who beat Matt Kuchar three times in that famous win in Georgia 24 years ago, is confident Aberg will take it easy.
“You can say that this is a big step forward for playing in Georgia. Ryder Cup at the Palmer Cup and collegiate events, but he imitated John Rahm by winning back-to-back Ben Hogan at that track and entered those big Tour tournaments with his cool client approach,” Rowe, California's preeminent coach, told Telegraph Sport.
“I like the way he behaves and what kind of player he is in such tense situations. He is meticulous, keeps a journal in which he writes down every round and uplifts those around him. I think Luke will see that in him too. Ludwig is an adult, calm, but he is absolutely a real Killer.
Donald has already admitted that he is considering Aberg's record-breaking performance and that he has been «following Ludwig for about a year». No golfer has yet played in the dust every two years with just three months of professional experience in his locker, but Aberg's talents are such that Donald, who has previously compared the Swede's potential to that of Rory McIlroy, suspects he can thrive in the most intimidating games. golf arenas.
Aberg turning off the shirt led to comparisons with Rory McIlroy. Photo: Getty Images/Jared C Tilton
«He's fantastic with the ball — a real weapon,» said Donald, who in July asked the organizers of the Rocket Mortgage Classic to be in the same group as Aberg. “I've played him and he's long, straight, with a great little draw that seems to find the middle of the fairway every time. He's also fast. Doesn't mess around. I think in the two rounds I played with him he shot within 12 points. Very impressive. I'm sure he'll have a great career ahead of him.»
But isn't the Eternal City coming too soon for this Liverpool fan? For his part, Aberg feels ready to at least make Donald's job harder in the next two weeks. The overwhelming sensation during the tour is that Scotsman Bob McIntyre and Austrian Sepp Straka are huge favorites to join the octet of Rory McIlroy, John Ram, Victor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hutton, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry who left him. Donald has possibly two spots left to fill when he names his six weekly wildcards on Monday.
Adrian Meronk looks likely as the Pole won at the Marco Simone circuit in May, but another spot is in doubt. Aberg apparently did not harm himself in this round — there were seven birds and one ghost — and his comments implied that he knew exactly that.
«I try to take it for what it is,» Aberg said after being asked about the plot of the Ryder Cup. “I will have quite high expectations for myself, no matter the situation – as a member, that’s how it should be. But I'm going to enjoy it.»
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy insisted on Friday that he would not cause «any harm» to his Ryder Cup competition next month, despite admitting that the back spasms continue. limit your play to the Tour Championship in Atlanta. McIlroy scored a respectable 67 points, six points clear of Ryder Cup teammate Victor Hovland in the $75 million PGA Tour Finals at East Lake.
McIlroy's chances of retaining the FedEx Cup seem grim, but his is not worried. about readiness for the match of Europe against the USA in Rome. «I don't think if I play here it will get worse,» he said. «I'd rather it show up now than in three or four weeks.»
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