Ludvig Aberg said finishing second in his first taste of Major golf has made him “hungry” for more.
The future Swedish superstar, 24, was still a student at Texas Tech this time last year. But since turning pro in June, the new world No.7 has won on both sides of the Atlantic, made his Ryder Cup debut and now beaten everyone except Scottie Scheffler at the Masters.
The Liverpool fan said: “This being my first major championship, you never really know what it’s going to be like until you’re there and experience it. I think this week has given me a lot of experiences and a lot of lessons learned in terms of those things. It makes me really hungry, and it makes me want to do it again and again.”
The next Major is the US PGA at Valhalla next month. And Aberg, who met his English girlfriend Olivia Peet at college, added: “Everyone in my position, they are going to want to be Major champions. They are going to want to be world No. 1s, and it’s the same for me, and that’s nothing different.
“It’s been that way ever since I picked up a golf club, and that hasn’t changed. So I think this week solidifies a lot of those things that are there, and we just need to keep doing those things and put ourselves in positions to win tournaments.”
Fellow Scandinavian Nicolai Hojgaard also topped the leaderboard over the weekend before finishing tied 16th as they attempted to become first rookie winner of the Masters since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
But their Ryder Cup vice-captain Jose Maria Olazabal said: “I believe that these young kids, if things go normal, I think they’re going to be in contention in Majors many times.”
Aberg has warned rivals he is hungry for more
Meanwhile, Aberg’s Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood will carry the caddie skills learned from an Augusta National legend when he works as the bagman for his stepson in Dubai later this month.
The Ryder Cup star said his tied third finish at the Masters proves he can win future Majors. But first the world No.11 will caddie for 17-year-old Oscar Craig, who won the Ras Al Khaimah Men’s Open in February.
Fleetwood had local caddie Gray Moore on his bag in Georgia with Ian Finnis back home with a chest infection. And the Dubai-based star said: “I’m off to Hilton Head now and then I fly back to Dubai to caddie for my son in a Challenge Tour event.
“I volunteered a while ago and of course this doesn’t change anything – if I started acting big-headed Clare (his wife) and the kids would soon slap me down, and that’s a great thing to keep you grounded.
“I’m looking forward to caddying, and I think I learned alot this week from Gray. He’s a legend around here, and he got pretty emotional back there on the 18th. He almost started me off! Finno has taught me well too. He should be back on the bag soon.”
Fleetwood shot a bogey-free closing 69 for his best Masters after finished runner-up at the US Open and Open. “I loved it this week,” he said. “These podium finishes in Majors prove to me that I can win at least one, and hopefully multiple Majors in the coming years. All I can do is keep trying to put myself there and keep having performances like this and we’ll see.
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