SWEDEN’S LUDVIG ABERG continued to enjoy a sensational start to his professional career with a first PGA Tour victory in the RSM Classic.
Aberg carded back-to-back rounds of 61 over the weekend at Sea Island to finish 29 under par, four shots clear of Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes.
The 24-year-old only joined the paid ranks in June, but won the final Ryder Cup qualifying event in Switzerland at the start of September and was hailed as a “generational talent” when given a wild card by Europe captain Luke Donald.
Aberg partnered Viktor Hovland to victory in the opening foursomes session in Rome and the same pair also thrashed world number one Scottie Scheffler and five-time major winner Brooks Koepka 9&7 on day two, a record margin for an 18-hole Ryder Cup match.
“I’m super happy. It’s kind of beyond my dreams,” Aberg told NBC after rounding off the win with three birdies in the last four holes.
“It’s really cool. To first off play on the PGA Tour, I have a lot of people to thank for that. It’s been so much fun, six months that I’ll never forget.
“This is what you dream of as a kid. This is the sport that I love and the sport that I’m going to love for a very long time. Watching these events from a very young age is what I’ve done so to see myself win is really cool.
“It validates my skillset and my capabilities. If you told me (I’d achieve) this a couple of months ago I would not have believed you. To be in this position I need to pinch myself in the arm.
“It’s really awesome and I’m so happy for me and my team and all the people that are close to me.”
The victory will take Aberg into the world’s top 50 and secure an invitation to next year’s Masters at Augusta National, his first appearance in a major championship.
Svitolina made a statement after her match v Azarenka that the organisers should ban the sporting tradition of shaking hands after her opponent was booed off the court for not offering her hand out to be ignored. This was her decision to not shake the hands of sporting Russian athletes so don’t be asking authorities in sport to ban a custom that’s traditional sporting etiquette gesture, after all its only a game.
Svitolina expects the organisers Wimbledon to ban handshakes after matches , Ironic comment. Can she not stand the sporting Azarenka being booed off the court today, surely easier to say I should have shook her hand
Svitolina is mostly responsible if not totally for unsporting behaviour but are nt we all suppose to be on Ukraine side so it doesn’t matter just” boo the Russians” anyway