Ludvig Åberg says he is embracing the moment amid high expectations as he makes his Major Championship debut at the 88th Masters Tournament.
Since turning professional last summer, the Swede has become a winner on both the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR, climbed into the top 10 in the world and played in a winning Ryder Cup team.
Such has been the speed of his rise, Åberg is widely being viewed as among the favourites to win the Green Jacket this week at the first men’s Major of the year.
The 24-year-old is one of 20 players - including four DP World Tour members - making their rookie appearance at Augusta National, and he is the second highest ranked of those, behind only U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark.
With three top-10 finishes in his last six starts, Åberg is feeling confident in his game as he tries to become the first player since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 to win on his Masters debut.
“It's a tricky balance because obviously I'm feeling all the first-time feelings that everyone's feeling, but I'm also trying to be okay with all those things coming at me at the same time," he said at his pre-tournament press conference.
“Because I think once you start fighting it, once you start trying to push it away, I think that's when it becomes tricky.
“So, I guess all I'm trying to do is just embrace all the nerves and all the excitement that I feel and at the same time know my capabilities and know my qualities and know that that's probably going to be good enough to compete.
“I can't make any promises, but I'll definitely make sure that, coming Thursday, I'll be as prepared as I can.”
Ludvig Åberg, a Major Championship debut awaits...
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With the Masters marking the start of a four-month stretch in which a Major is being contested in each month, Åberg is prepared to continue a year in which he has already realised several firsts.
Among those, as part of his rookie season with full playing privileges on the PGA TOUR, he impressed with an eighth-place finish in his debut at the prestigious PLAYERS Championship last month.
Reflecting on some his experiences over the past year, he said: “I remember back in last year when we played in Rome (at the Ryder Cuo), that was a big first as well.
“And that was very nerve-wracking, but it was also very cool experience and something that taught me a lot that week.
“I think a lot of those experiences that I'll have in the next couple of months will be very similar, and I think I'm just trying to learn from it, try to have fun.
“And whether you like it or not, it is going to be different. But it's also just golf, and it's just me and my 14 clubs, I guess.”
Course knowledge is often said to be a vital tool ahead of the Masters, and while Åberg may be lacking in that regard, he hopes his caddie Joe Skovron – who was alongside Rickie Fowler from the start of the American’s professional career until 2022 – will be an asset.
“Joe's been around here for however long he's been here for,” said Åberg, who first visited Augusta National while in his first year of college.
“He's seen the place, and he's been a very valuable tool for me. And he's helped me a ton with not only once we got here but also certain shots that you can work on when you're home, make sure that you come prepared for certain things that might show up during the tournament round.
“He's seen it all, and I trust him with everything I have.
“Obviously, the golf course is very tricky. You have got to know your spots, know your misses. You have to play very good golf and hit the shots.”
Victory would see Åberg become the first Swede to win the Green Jacket and he says one of his earliest memories of watching the tournament was when his countryman Peter Hanson contended for the title in 2012.
Åberg has since forged a friendship with his mentor Hanson, who won six times on the DP World Tour.
“The one year that I definitely remember watching a lot of it was when Peter was playing in the final group,” he said.
“I didn't know him at the time, and it's pretty cool that I've gotten to know him quite well over the last couple years, and he's been telling me stories.”
