2024 PGA Championship: Top 10 power rankings at Valhalla
OWGR: 6th. Best PGA finish: --. Ludvig Aberg. 2024PGA/PowerRank/7. 7
Everyone was wondering how Ludvig Aberg would fare in his major championship debut.
Should there have been any doubt? The Swede continues to dazzle, starting with his amateur days and into his burgeoning pro career.
He was elite at Texas Tech and took the PGA Tour by storm by winning last year at the RSM Classic as one of a slew of high finishes. It didn’t take long for Aberg to line his pockets.
Last month at the Masters, Aberg was dangerously close to becoming the first debutant to win a green jacket since 1979. He was in contention heading into the back nine on Sunday en route to solo second place.
That was his second runner-up finish of 2024, joining his solo second at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am where he was robbed the chance of trying to track down reigning U.S. Open champ, Wyndham Clark, due to the event being shortened to 54 holes.
Aberg has six top-10s in 10 starts this season, including in his last start at the RBC Heritage, a Signature Event that features most of the big names that will be present this week at Valhalla.
The only concern is Aberg’s health after he pulled out of last week’s Wells Fargo Championship.
“Unfortunately, I'm dealing with a knee issue and after consulting with my doctors, we think it's best that I take some additional time to rest,” Aberg said in a statement posted by the PGA Tour. “I hope everyone has a great week and I look forward to teeing it up next week."
You heard it from Aberg himself; he’s planning to give it a go this week. Let’s hope his withdrawal was more precautionary than anything.
Assuming he’s at or close to full strength, the 24-year-old has the ball striking capabilities to thrive this week in Kentucky.
He’s eighth on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Total (1.144), 13th in SG: Off-the-Tee (.535) and 17th in SG: Approach (.531). There’s work to be done on and around the greens, but that’s to be expected from a new player out on tour.
Keep an eye on his health before you bet the farm on Aberg or game him in your fantasy lineup. If he’s good to go, Aberg is primed for another impressive performance.