By not choosing Ludwig Aberg, Europe captain Luke Donald would only delay the inevitable as he plays the next 8 with Ryder Cups Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Luke Donald, captain of Europe, called him «the talent of a generation that I just had to pick», while Justin Rose, senior statesman of the home team, called him «an absolute stud». .
If Ludwig Aberg's stunning debut win in the Alps wasn't dizzying enough, the praise he received after being named one of six wildcards for the Ryder Cup in Rome three weeks later had him soaring in neighborhoods rarely visited by newcomers to Rome. preparing for the rarest event in the game.
But on the other hand, the 23-year-old Swede reached the supposed pinnacle of men's team golf faster than even Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy or Jordan Spieth.
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Since joining the paying ranks in June, Aberg has played in just nine professional tournaments and will easily become the most inexperienced golfer ever to play in a biennial game. And that status will only be reinforced by the fact that he will be the first to play in the Ryder Cup before he plays in the Major.
But here's the thing. Aberg's ascent was as stunning in its haste as in its acceptance. Even if he hadn't won the European Masters on Sunday, beating world No. 8 Matt Fitzpatrick with four birds in a row on the last five holes, it's said that Aberg would still be on the plane.
All indications are that Ludwig Aberg did enough to earn a wild card before winning the Crane on Sunday. Credit: JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT/EPA -EFE/Shutterstock
The Liverpool fan who dreamed of becoming a midfielder at Anfield until he was 13 has his jaws hitting the fairways at record speed. Last but not least, Donald.
«I played him [on the PGA Tour] in Detroit in July and was blown away by his performance,» Donald said on Monday, introducing Aberg along with Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka and Nikolaj Hoygaard as his pick.
“He was a tough player with nine under 16 holes like it was nothing. He was calm, collected, everything looked very simple. I didn't play with John Rahm very often, but when Rory started to open up, I thought, «This guy is special» and Ludwig fits into that.
Moreover, Aberg did exactly what his captain demanded. “I invited him to come to Europe and play a couple,” Donald said. “Ludwig finished fourth at the Czech Masters last week and we all know what he did yesterday. For him, it was like walking in the park, but for such an inexperienced person, it was so impressive. I had to choose it.”
Rose agrees. The 43-year-old player said that Aberg is one of the few golfers who make him turn on his laptop. “Yes, I don’t follow college life very closely, but I knew that this absolute stallion turned professional and, hey!, he is European,” Rose said. “He's one of the players whose game is so impressive that in the evening, even if you haven't watched the reports, you go to his Shot Tracker, click on the replays and say: Oh my God! He hit the target 340 yards down the middle of the fairway.» He has a couple of weapons that not everyone has.
The first of these talents is obvious to anyone who has seen Aberg's actual ball carnage. It is very, very long and very accurate, and this mixture inspired Nicholas Kolsaerts, mate Donald, to state: «From the tee to the green, he keeps the ball on a rope…and that rope can go as far as he likes.»
Since being on the PGA Tour, Aberg has earned his card with his huge accomplishments in Texas under the U.S. student system, making him the only player along with Rahm to win back-to-back Ben Hogan Player of the Year awards. A few years ago, he established himself at the top of the circuit's racing charts, with world No. 2 Rory McIlroy coming in second and World No. 1 Scotty Sheffler coming in third.
However, as Rose hinted, it is more than that, and it is this quality that Donald witnessed in Michigan. «Calmness: that's his second weapon — calm under pressure,» Rose said. “He turned pro in June and we started talking about the Ryder Cup in July. So think about it: early in his professional career, he played under pressure 75 percent of the time trying to make the Ryder Cup team. And then he won on the last day of the campaign, and the captain had no problem.
«Where does he hit the ball from the tee, if he's even half decent with his irons and cleats.» and a club, he will be a force to be reckoned with in the world of golf.
Too much hype? Perhaps, and let's face it, the last thing Rome needs is another shameful destruction. But Donald is adamant, he would just delay the inevitable if he chose the incredibly unlucky Adrian Meronck instead of Aberg instead.
«Look, if he wasn't going to play this game, he was going to play the next eight Ryder Cups — that's how good he is, in my opinion,» Donald said. “I really have a lot of faith in Ludwig. He is a player of a generation, he will stay here for a long time and will do amazing things.”
And Aberg. How does he feel? When, after the last edition, he was asked if he dreamed of becoming the first racket of the world, he replied: “Oh, yes. Absolutely.
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