LA QUINTA (California) — Texas Tech star Ludvig aberg left the Norman Course during a practice round at PGA West’s Prestige college tournament on Sunday to attend a junior clinic organized by the tournament. After a brief interview, he returned to the course to join his Red Raiders teammates.
It’s all part learning how to play professional golf, which Aberg hopes will lead him to a successful career.
It is what it is. “I know that pro golf will be like that,” Aberg, the Swedish player from Texas Tech who is currently No. 3 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, currently No. 1 in the PGA Tour U Rankings. This is a pathway to an exemption to a PGA Tour card. They have a lot to do and they have many people trying to reach you. There is media and manufacturers. It’s part of the game. It is part of the game. You have to learn how to accept it.
Aberg plans to continue learning about professional golf over the last few months of college. A Texas Tech senior, aged 23, played in the DP World Tour Hero Dubai Desert Classic last January. He shot a 65 in the first round and then fell back to 70th on the leaderboard. Aberg will be invited to two sponsors’ events on the PGA Tour in the next weeks: one to Arnold Palmer Invitational, and one to Valspar Championship.
Greg Sands, Texas Tech coach, says it’s a good path.
It is good for our team. In his 21st season as Texas Tech’s head coach, Sands said that the team is very strong. He was also a member of The Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame. “Him finishing well at the PGA Tour really helps with recruiting and other things. It’s a mixture of all three.
Ludvig Aberg, a Swedish golfer, tees off at the 18th hole during Day Four of Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 29, 2023. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images).
Mixing college and professional tournaments
Aberg’s current top ranking in PGA Tour U standings is crucial for his future. The rankings are compiled from NCAA Division I men’s team competitions and select DP World Tour events. A golfer ranked No. receives a PGA Tour exemption. The NCAA Division I championship ended last week in May. Aberg is leading Austin Greaser from North Carolina in the race for a tour exemption in 2023 with two wins and 11 top-10 finishes across 19 eligible events.
This ranking means that Aberg’s name was mentioned on PGA Tour telecasts every time the PGA Tour U rankings were discussed or run on a crawl at bottom of television screen.
“It’s good. It feels more like a reward for me doing good things,” Aberg stated. “That’s what I try to do, is get the ball into the hole as fast as possible. If you do something positive, people will be watching you and more eyes on your face. This is something that I embrace.
Sands said that coaching Aberg, who is self-motivated, is like a dream. He said there is no way Aberg can be distracted by rankings or the pursuit of a PGA Tour card.
Sands stated, “He has a consistent personality and a consistent work ethic.” He’s unflappable at the golf course. This speaks volumes about his demeanor. He is very consistent in everything, which I believe makes it easy to not be too far from the truth. He is able to manage it even when he’s off. He is a unique individual who doesn’t make things bigger than they already are. He just stays in the moment.
Aberg, a two-time defending individual champ at the Prestige, is sharing the title in 2021 alongside two other players, and winning the title outright for 2022 on the challenging Norman Course. This course features just over 60 acres and lots of native desert landscaping, something that isn’t seen in Aberg’s home in Eslov, Sweden.
“Last year, we had a lot wind. Aberg stated that there were a few days when it was not playable. I managed to get around the course. I kept my head low in the wind. It is normal to be windy, but you have to learn to live with it. That was how I did it last year. This year, the winds might be lower and the greens a bit firmer. This is a slightly different game.
