Ludvig Aberg pulls weight on winning Ryder Cup team
Ludvig Aberg became a surprise story for the 44th Ryder Cup when Team Europe's Luke Donald made the 23-year-old from Texas Tech a historically significant captain's pick.
No golfer had played in a Ryder Cup before playing in a major, and none in the modern era had made a Ryder Cup team so quickly after turning pro — in Aberg's case, three months after he wrapped up his career with the Red Raiders.
Then Aberg went out and played more like a steely prodigy than a wide-eyed youngster in golf's most raucous environment.
Europe won the cup, ending Sunday's three-day competition near Rome, Italy with a final tally of 16 1/2 points to 11 1/2 including two points from the long-hitting, 6-foot-3 Swede. Europe scored its seventh consecutive home victory, taking back the cup that the U.S. won 19-9 two years ago at Whistling Straits.
The outcome at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club was never in doubt with how the Europeans started. Aberg and playing partner Viktor Hovland were igniters in the early onslaught.
Victories by the Ben Hogan Award winners from Texas Tech and Oklahoma State gave the Europeans leads of 2-0 and 7 1/2 to 1 1/2. in foursomes matches, Aberg and Hovland beat Max Homa and British Open champion Brian Harman 4 & 3 on Friday morning, then stunned five-time major winner Brooks Koepka and world No. 1-ranked Scottie Scheffler by a Ryder Cup record 9 & 7 on Saturday morning.
Of Europe's 12 players, seven won two or more points, including Aberg, who finished 2-2-0.
Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa halted Aberg's and Hovland's momentum in Saturday afternoon four-balls, winning 4 & 3. Koepka beat Aberg 3 & 2 in Sunday's singles.
Rory McIlroy, in tears two years ago after his shabby performance, was among Europe’s top players who doused American dreams of a rally. He beat Sam Burns to go 4-1 for the week, the first time he was Europe’s top scorer in his seventh appearance.
"I was so disappointed after Whistling Straits — we all were," McIlroy said. "And we wanted to come here to Rome and redeem ourselves."
Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton also picked up key points early in the singles lineup, leaving Europe needing only a half-point to reaching the winning total. Tommy Fleetwood delivered the clincher, hitting a signature shot on the signature hole at Marco Simone — a drive to 25 feet on the reachable 16th against Rickie Fowler.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Ludvig Aberg pulls weight on winning Ryder Cup team
