JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 9, 2023

Ludvig Aberg

TPC Deere Run

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Great finishing round today, the 63. Just a few comments, highlights, what you felt really connected today.

LUDVIG ABERG: Yeah, it was a fun day. Obviously I felt like I hit the ball pretty well, but the biggest difference today to the other days was my putter and just the efficiency around the greens.

I was getting the ball up and down. I made a few nice par-saves as well. Kind of keeps the momentum in the round, and I was able to finish pretty well as well.

THE MODERATOR: The 71 yesterday. I may be going for something that's not there. 63 today; the 71 yesterday. Does that make the 71 yesterday even more frustrating for you?

LUDVIG ABERG: I guess a little bit. Obviously I felt like he didn't play my best yesterday, but I still felt like there were some highlights. I still felt like I was striking the ball well enough to go out and put a good score in today.

Luckily I did, and I trusted my own stuff and ended up playing pretty well today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. It's your career low so far in that five-week career you've got going. Does it feel good to get that done on a Sunday in particular, and is that another step in the progression, do you think?

LUDVIG ABERG: Yeah, absolutely. I feel like any time that you finish a tournament on a good note, it feels a lot better. Lunch is going to taste a lot better.

Obviously I felt like I've been playing pretty well the last couple of weeks, but I haven't really gotten together four rounds together, but luckily I was able to finish well today and ended up being a good tournament.

Q. The par-save, the 10-footer on 18, how did you treat that? Was that a 'let's see what we got' nerve-wise?

LUDVIG ABERG: I felt like I was rolling the ball pretty well all day, so all I could do was try to read as good as I can and put a good stroke on it, and I did.

I would have been a little bit frustrated if I didn't make that, but luckily I did. Pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Q. You're going to the Scottish Open, hopefully qualifying for Hoylake.

LUDVIG ABERG: Uh-huh.

Q. What would it mean to get to play your way into the British?

LUDVIG ABERG: It would be unbelievable. The Open is one of the tournaments I grew up watching and in my mind is one of the bigger ones in the world.

So it would have been amazing to qualify for it, but all I can do is try to keep swinging well, keep preparing well, and see where that takes me.

Q. What do you learn from today, it being Sunday and the round you put up?

LUDVIG ABERG: I learned that I really enjoy it. I had a lot of fun, and I think that's the biggest thing that I'm going to take away and just that I had a lot of fun with being close to the lead late on a Sunday.

And I think the next time that I'll be in that same spot it's going to be a little built easier because it's going to be -- whether you like it or not, it's going to be a little bit different. I felt like I handled it well today, and luckily I'll be in that position a lot more in the future as well.

Q. A little free-wheeling today going out as early as you did?

LUDVIG ABERG: Obviously didn't play my best yesterday, so kind of teed off a little bit earlier today. I felt like I didn't really have anything to lose and wanted obviously to put a good score in, and luckily I did as well.

Q. How much did the eagle at 2 get things set in motion for you?

LUDVIG ABERG: Yeah. I mean, I think I made a few putts early on... 2, 3, and 4... and I think that sets the note a little bit.

I felt like I was rolling the ball well all day. It was fun to see a lot of putts going in.

Q. What's the biggest thing now that you have a few starts under your belt? Just going back from start one to now, what have you learned the most out here?

LUDVIG ABERG: That it is a lot of fun. It is probably -- I mean, I expected it to be a lot of fun, but it's even more fun than I thought it would be.

It's just so cool to be around these guys that I have been watching for such a long time and to see them close up and actually communicate with them and be around them is very cool.

It's pretty cool to see that my game holds up as well and that I'll be able to, like I did today, finish well and get into a good position.

Q. How important is it that you're seeing results right away with this?

LUDVIG ABERG: I think it's important. I think it builds momentum, builds confidence, and makes it a little bit easier going forward.

But at the end of the day all I can do is try to prepare as well as I can, do good practice, and see where that takes me.

Q. Are the guys out here very accepting of you and the other young guys as they jump in?

LUDVIG ABERG: It seems like it. It seems like it. Anyone that I have met has been very nice to me. They've been welcoming and treated me with respect. I think that's pretty cool.

All I can do is try to repay that by being nice to them and being respectful back. So it's been a lot of fun, and I can't wait to keep competing here.

Q. And going out and kicking their butts on Sunday, but that's beside the point.

LUDVIG ABERG: It doesn't hurt.

Q. That's what you are supposed to do. Were you watching leaderboards at all today?

LUDVIG ABERG: I was, yeah.

Q. What was your reaction when you see your name getting up at the top of the leaderboard early on?

LUDVIG ABERG: It's cool. It's really cool. I mean, I kind of figured that they're going to make a few birdies coming in, and it was going to be pretty hard to get to that number that is going to be the winning score, but I played well. It's really fun to see my name up top there, yeah.

Q. Obligatory Ryder Cup question: Do you feel like this is another line item on the résumé that Luke can look at? Is it something to consider?

LUDVIG ABERG: I guess a little bit, but all I can do is try to prepare as good as I can and play as good of golf as I can and see where that takes me.