Welcome to the Ludvig Åberg Show

If the 2024 Masters was a continuation of dominance for Scottie Scheffler, it was a coming out party for Ludvig Åberg. It was the first real chance for him to make an impression on the general public, and he balled out. The 24-year-old Swede made the most noise of any Scheffler chaser on Sunday’s opening nine, culminating in a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 9. As he was getting a protein bar knocked out of his hand on the walk to the 10th tee, he was tied for the lead in his first career major championship start.

In his pre-tournament press conference, Ludvig Åberg was asked if he knew that no Masters rookie had won a green jacket since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. He did not. “I think that speaks to the difficulty of the golf course and the difficulty of some of the things that you might get thrown at you in the tournament,” he said. “But I can’t really do a whole lot about that.” Five days later, Åberg was tied for the lead, seemingly unbothered by any history he could potentially be making. A friend texted me that it looked as though he was actually enjoying himself. Something you wouldn’t expect from a rookie on the verge of a life-changing victory.

Åberg’s only blemish on Sunday was an overaggressive iron into No. 11 that found the water. That shot would have shaken a lesser player, but he fought back with birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 to continue putting pressure on Scheffler. It was a fruitless endeavor given Scottie’s close, but it showed the rising star’s ability to stick around when the rest of the field was folding.

Golf fans who pay attention have known about Åberg for some time. The former top-ranked amateur in the world immediately made his presence felt last summer upon turning pro, earning a spot in the 2023 Ryder Cup. He entered the 2024 Masters as the ninth-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking. He left two spots higher. Perhaps more importantly, he entered the national consciousness. Those who watched will remember his impressive golf swing and stoic performance. What’s great for fans and likely scary for his competitors: Ludvig Åberg is just getting started.

This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.