Rory McIlroy has heaped praise upon Ludvig Aberg as the Swede looks to go on and win The Players Championship on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass.
Heading into Sunday, Aberg gave himself a brilliant chance of succeeding McIlroy as the winner at the PGA Tour’s flagship event.
The 26-year-old began the final round with a three-shot lead over Michael Thorbjornsen. He is seeking his first victory since last year’s Genesis Invitational was held at Torrey Pines.
Rory McIlroy lauds Ludvig Aberg at The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy, of course, knows all about Ludvig Aberg. The pair have been teammates at each of the last two Ryder Cups, with Aberg delivering such a massive point on Sunday at Bethpage as Europe stumbled over the line last September.
And following the Northern Irishman’s final round in Florida, where he finished even par for the week, McIlroy was asked what he admires about Aberg’s game.
“Pretty much everything. His pace of play. Once he gets over the ball he’s really decisive. He’s obviously got a beautiful swing. Looks like he plays with a lot of freedom,” he said.
“Watching a little bit of the golf yesterday afternoon, he’s always smiling out there. He looks like he finds a lot of joy in playing the game, and it looks like him and Joe, his caddie, always have good conversations and a good laugh out there, and that’s important, as well.”
McIlroy explains what he has learned about Aberg behind the scenes at the Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup has played such a pivotal role in launching Aberg’s career. He earned a place in Luke Donald’s team for 2023 despite not making a single appearance in a major beforehand.
Aberg ran out of steam as the week went on, but did secure a record victory alongside Viktor Hovland on Saturday morning. His opponents in that session were Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka.
And McIlroy explained on Sunday what he has learned about the youngster when they have represented Europe together.
“He’s pretty unflappable. He’s so laid-back, like, ridiculously laid-back, which is a really good thing, especially in environments like the Ryder Cup,” he said.
It is surprising that Aberg has not yet won more on the PGA Tour. He appears to have all of the tools to win numerous majors in the future, so getting across the line at TPC Sawgrass could be hugely significant in his career.
McIlroy obviously feels that it is a matter of time before he realises his enormous potential.
