Ludvig Åberg checks out the drop area after hitting his drive on the 12th hole into the water.
Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA | Leading the Players Championship after both 36 holes and 54 holes, Ludvig Åberg spoke openly and at some length about the nerves he knew he would feel as he played the last round on TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course with a three-stroke lead.
“I always feel nervous,” Åberg, 26, said. “I’ve been nervous the past three days. I’m nervous every time I step on the 17th tee box.”
That wasn’t what you expected to hear from the engaging Swede who seemed to have been booted and spurred for greatness when he was selected for Europe’s 2023 Ryder Cup team shortly after winning his first tournament. You don’t often hear players admit to nerves in the way Åberg did. That’s not to say they don’t have them. It is more that they don’t publicly acknowledge them.
Nervous or not, Åberg appeared to have it all under control Sunday as he sped to the turn in level par to retain the lead. But then in the 40 or so minutes he took to play two holes, his lead disappeared. Was this where his nerves got the better of him?
On the par-5 11th, where he would have been hoping for a birdie, he dropped one stroke by hitting his second into the greenside water hazard. Then he drove into water on the 12th˙as well and dropped two strokes on that par-4 hole. From being level on the day Åberg had fallen back to 3-over in two holes. That was where his chances of becoming the second Swede after Henrik Stenson in 2009 to win this event disappeared. His closing 76 left him tied fifth at 9-under after preceding rounds of 69, 63 and 71.
“I think the main thing for me is I think about winning, but I try not to get ahead of myself when I’m playing golf,” Åberg said later, a rueful smile on his face. “I think the front nine we handled quite well. I felt like we handled it to the point where it definitely could have been a few shots better here and there. It was just a disappointing back nine. Hopefully I’ll do a little bit better next time.”
John Hopkins
