Ludvig Aberg will not only play in his first Masters this weekend, but his first major of all. Last year, he didn’t play any of the four majors. He hasn’t experienced competition on that level since he’s had barely a year on tour. This weekend will be monumental for him, even more so if he wins.
It’s pretty rare for anyone to make their major debut at Augusta. It’s the most prestigious tournament of the year, and it comes earlier than the other majors, so golfers have more time to qualify for later ones.
Nevertheless, Aberg hasn’t yet played in a single major at all. In fact, one year ago, he was still in college. Now, he’ll take on golf’s best in the biggest tournament of his life without having any prior experience in that level of event.
Winning it would make history. He’d be only the seventh golfer to win the first major they ever played in, joining:
- Willie Park Sr., Open Championship in 1860
- Horace Rawlins, US Open in 1895
- Fred Herd, US Open in 1898
- Francis Ouimet, US Open in 1913
- Ben Curtis, Open Championship in 2003
- Keegan Bradley, PGA Championship in 2011
Every other major has had someone win it in their first-ever major appearance, but it hasn’t happened for the Masters.
As far as winning their first Masters in an Augusta debut, Horton Smith in the first ever Masters, Gene Sarazen in 1935, and Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 are the only three who’ve achieved this feat, which Aberg and many others, including Wyndham Clark, could do this weekend.
It’s impossible to tell who will win, but if it’s Aberg, he will set a bunch of history. He’s one of the youngest stars on the PGA Tour, and he’s proving to be a future superstar in the making. If he can win, Aberg’s star will truly be born in Georgia over the weekend.
Ludvig Aberg ready for first major tournament
It’s the first time Ludvig Aberg has been on a stage of this magnitude. He’s played collegiate championships and on the Ryder Cup, but never a major tournament. Despite his relative inexperience, he’s ready for the moment.
Aberg said:
“A major is going to be a little different whether you like it or not, I think I’m just trying to embrace it. I’m not trying to fight it, not trying to push it away. I’m being okay with all the nerves and all the excitement that comes with that and I feel like I’m playing good golf. Hopefully, we’ll be able to translate that into this week as well.”
The atmosphere is different, and he’s hardly played a tournament yet that involved a field so deep to include Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and so many others. However, the young golfer understands where he is and what he’s doing and is ready for the challenge.
