Ludvig Aberg Gets Redemption at Torrey Pines

Aberg got a second bite of the Torrey Pines apple when the historic home venue, Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, was unable to host because of wildfires that ravaged the area.

“I definitely felt like I made three bogeys in a row, four, five, six, but I also felt like the bogeys, they were not great bogeys but I still felt like I was sort of in control of what I was doing,” Aberg said on reflecting how he handled the misstep in the middle of the final round. “I felt like ever since yesterday I was in control of my ball flight. It's a nice feeling knowing that I didn't get ahead of myself. I was sort of focused on the things that I could focus on and then knowing that you'll get a lot of chances as long as you're executing the shots, really pleased with the way I finished today.”

The five on the sixth hole was not a bogey but a par that must have felt like a bogey at the time.

But after leaving the par-5, Aberg would make six birdies over the next 13 holes. Even with McNealy charging up the leaderboard, Aberg seemingly felt he had a chance.

“I definitely saw what he was doing. I looked at all the leaderboards that I could,” Aberg said of McNealy. “Obviously, I think he got to 12 pretty early, and I was sort of stuck at 7, 8, something like that. Had a big putt on 12 for par, probably a six-, seven-footer left to right that I made. I think if I hadn't made that one, I don't think I would have won today.”

Sitting at sixth in the world, Aberg will reach the top five with his one-shot victory and expand the list of Europeans in the top five to two with Rory McIlroy.

Because of the prestige of winning a Tiger Woods-hosted event on such a difficult course, Aberg will be mentioned as one of the favorites in any field he’s in leading up to the Masters in April.

But Aberg will look back on Sunday and know that when he wanted to take control, he had another gear and seemed very comfortable to put the pedal to the metal.

“Today I executed the shots, I made a couple putts and that was the difference,” Aberg said. “It just sort of — it's very reassuring to know that I can sort of go from where I was a couple weeks ago to winning a tournament in sort of a quick turnaround.”