How I Met Your Mother and 90’s hip-hop: This exclusive Q&A with Ludvig Aberg didn’t disappoint
NCG’s Matt Chivers asked Ludvig Aberg about his favourite takeaway food, his favourite Netflix show and some serious stuff too on the ground at the Tour Championship…
Peering behind the curtain with world-class athletes is great fun if talking to Ludvig Aberg is anything to go by.
The young Swede just played his first full season on the PGA Tour, hot off making his Ryder Cup debut for Team Europe, in which he finished second at the Masters and at Pebble Beach and missed only two cuts in 18 events.
He has reached the mark of fourth-best men’s player on the planet and almost won for the second time in the States at the BMW Championship, the second leg of the three-limbed FedEx Cup Playoff stretch.
I arrived at East Lake for the Tour Championship, the PGA Tour’s season finale, on Tuesday and picked Aberg’s brains about his year, his performances in the majors and where we might see him next in 2024, if at all.
But I tapped into the fun stuff with the 24-year-old superstar too, the elements of his life the rest of us can relate to such as takeaway food, Netflix and holidays.
That’s right. I asked Ludvig Aberg what his favourite takeaway was, and this was his answer…
ALSO: What’s in Ludvig Aberg’s bag?
ALSO: Technical Perfection? Ludvig Aberg PGA Tour star Swing Analysis
Ludvig Aberg: PGA Tour star reveals guilty pleasures
What is your favourite takeaway food?
Asian food.
What is your favourite Netflix series?
How I Met Your Mother.
What is your favourite holiday destination?
Sweden.
And if it wasn’t your home country?
Spain
What is your favourite song or band?
I like most things. I’m into 90’s hip-hop, so I like Biggie – his albums are good.
What job would you do if you weren’t a golfer?
I did business marketing at school, so I’d be somewhere along those lines.
If you had a front-row seat at any sporting event you wanted, what would it be?
The Wimbledon Final.
What is your favourite golf course?
Augusta National
Which clubs would you choose if you were to play a tournament that only allowed the use of five clubs?
I would do a driver, 7-iron, putter, a 9-iron and a pitching wedge.
And if you were only allowed three clubs?
A pitching wedge, a driver and a 5-iron.
And you’d putt with the 5-iron?
Yeah!
If you could choose any golfer to hole a 10-footer for you to win a golf tournament, who would it be?
Xander
Who is your best friend on tour?
Vincent Normann
Now on to the more serious stuff…
At the start of the season, did you picture yourself being in the top 30 (at the Tour Championship), was that a goal you set for yourself? Do you set goals?
“It was definitely a goal for me, I pictured myself being here and with this being my first full year, I didn’t really know what to expect in terms of the load, the tournaments and the amount of golf. I’m obviously really happy to be here and looking forward to a good week.”
You played in all of the majors for the first time (in 2024), and you played brilliantly at the Masters and the US Open. Are these things you’ll learn from and get better from?
“The majors are obviously the biggest tournaments and they’re the ones you want to play well in, so I had my first experiences this year with those and it’s been amazing. It’s a little different, whether you like it or not, from a normal tournament. I’ve really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to having a few more goes next year.”
You’re destined for major greatness, in my opinion anyway. Do you have a figure in your head of the amount of majors you want to win?
“(Chuckles) No I don’t. All I can do is prepare as well as I can and put myself in a position to win major championships. Ultimately, that’s what you want to do and if I play well and my game is in a good spot, I feel I have a good chance. Ultimately, that’s what we’re trying to do next year and I’m looking forward to doing that.”
You have some downtime now. Will your next appearance be in November on the DP World Tour?
“We’re definitely going to sit down after this week and reflect on what we can do going forward, to see if there are things we might want to change, but I’m definitely going to enjoy some downtime and enjoy some time with my family, kick my feet up a little bit. And I’ll be ready – I’m doing Abu Dhabi and Dubai and then I might add something else. I don’t know yet.”
Do you feel tired at the end of a season? Does it feel like a long year to this point?
“I think it is a long year. It’s more of a sprint, I suppose because the tournaments are coming thick and fast, but ultimately, this is what you want to do. I feel very fortunate to be here and I’m looking forward to one last little push.”
NOW READ: ‘I will never try to chase money’: Ludvig Aberg says he turned down LIV Golf
NOW READ: ‘I couldn’t really argue my case’: Ludvig Aberg’s ex-caddie reveals what led to split
Ludvig Aberg: PGA Tour star takes on the NCG Q&A! Give us your own answers on X!
Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spoken to the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson, to name just a few.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
