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Ludvig Aberg Focused on Short Game Before Augusta

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alex Miceli | Last updated Mar 23, 2025 1:48 PM ET

Standing on the precipice of his second Masters, Ludvig Aberg faces different issues with his game than when he finished eighth at his first Players Championship a year ago.

Three rounds of 67 around TPC Sawgrass made everyone notice the Swede, who had been playing college golf a year earlier.

Less than a month later, Aberg finished second to Scottie Scheffler at his first Masters and was on his way to a terrific season.

The luster has not dulled on Aberg, especially after a win at the Genesis Invitational earlier this year, but a poor showing two weeks ago at The Players has paused the adulation thrown upon the 25-year-old.

“Played terrible golf; that’s how it is sometimes,” Aberg said after missing the cut at The Players. “Way too many mistakes, just not sharp enough, all those doubles, I think I made five, six doubles over two days, which isn't going to cut it if you want to play good golf tournaments.”

Not including the withdrawal because of illness at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Aberg had recorded only one triple bogey and three double bogeys over 16 rounds played in 2025 before his performance at TPC Sawgrass.

In just 36 holes, Aberg recorded five double bogeys, topping his earlier season appearances and frustrating the European Ryder Cupper after an early exit from the PGA Tour spotlight event.

Oddly enough, Aberg was a spectator to a course-record performance by playing competitor Justin Thomas at Friday’s second round of The Players. Thomas shot 11-under through 18 holes before making a bogey at the last and tying the record of Tom Hoge at 62.

“I felt like yesterday was definitely more short-game shots. Even today, there's just no momentum in the rounds,” Aberg said of his 2-over, 71-75 performance at The Players. “And felt like I was making pretty good swings, decent swings, enough to sort of give myself looks, and then not making birdie on [No. 2], making double on [No. 4] from nowhere, and then just struggling with those things.”

With two weeks before Augusta, Aberg has planned one week of practice and one week of competition, the Valero Texas Open, where he finished T14 last year.

With 12-1 odds to win the Masters, Aberg’s focus in the last two-plus weeks before the first major of the year will be more singular, and he understands where his need is.

“We'd like to get that little bit sharper over the next couple of weeks,’” Aberg said of his short game. “And get that a little better.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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