BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

September 13, 2023

Ludvig Aberg

Wentworth Golf Club

Press Conference

MATTHEW JOULE: Delighted to be joined by Ludvig Aberg. It's been a whirlwind few weeks for you. How excited are you to make your BMW PGA Championship this week?

LUDVIG ABERG: I can't wait. It's one of those big events on the DP World Tour that I've watched for a very long time, and I was playing the course for the first time yesterday and I felt like I've been here before, but just from watching it on TV and that kind of stuff.

But really cool and looking forward to a nice couple days.

MATTHEW JOULE: What do you think of the course, seeing it in person?

LUDVIG ABERG: It was good. It's a true test. It's fair. It's right in front of you. And you know, keep it in the fairway I think is going to be key, where the rough is up and the greens are quite firm. So it's going to be -- the best player going to win for sure.

Q. Probably of eyeballs on you this week. How are you coping with that? Do you feel additional pressure?

LUDVIG ABERG: Yeah, just like you said, for me it's been quite a lot of the last couple weeks, last couple months, so being in that I guess kind of spotlight has been fun but it's been a little bit different for me, too. We don't get that much attention in college like we do here.

So naturally it's going to take a little bit of time for me to get used to it I think. But I try to embrace it. I try to have fun with it. You know, once I get on the golf course, it's still golf and that's what I've been doing for such a long time. It's what I feel the most comfortable with doing.

Q. Share your thoughts about the get together with Rome. How did you find that?

LUDVIG ABERG: It was great. It was a lot of fun to spend some time with some of the players that I haven't really spent that much time with before.

So just kind of getting to know them outside the golf course was a lot of fun. I think that's what separates us Europeans, the European team a little bit from the American side where we have that camaraderie. Hopefully we'll be able to keep that and win some points in Rome in a couple weeks' time.

Q. Something has come up quite a bit about you -- a few nerves, how do you cope?

LUDVIG ABERG: Yes, I feel nervous. I feel absolutely nervous. It would be weird if I didn't. I try to view it as something good. It means that I care and it means that it shows that I want to do well.

But you know, it's also just being nervous doesn't necessarily need to affect how you behave and how you get around on the golf course. I think that's what I try to view it as, and obviously being in new situations is going to be a little bit different. It's going to make your body react a little bit different.

But I try to, like I said before, I try to embrace it and try to have fun with it and play golf with a smile.

Q. (On working with a golf coach.)

LUDVIG ABERG: It was probably the first time that I started to practise a little bit more. I had not really practised that much before. I was just going out and playing and that's where I met my coach, my swing coach that I'm still working with today. I felt like we've had a great relationship ever since we started and he's one of the main reasons why I'm here today.

So obviously laid a foundation for my career and forever going to be grateful for that.

Q. Just related to that last question, was there anyone on Monday that you had not chatted to before on the European Team, anybody you met or anybody you met surprised you at all or learned anything about?

LUDVIG ABERG: I wouldn't necessarily say nervous, I was more excited, just to be able to hang out with those guys that I watched on TV for a very long time. I think, you know, it's really cool for me. I almost have to pinch myself in the arm that I'm actually kind of creating a relationship with these guys and getting to play with them on the golf course. We have all seen what they do on the golf courses, but it's pretty cool to see that they are actually humans as well. It's pretty cool for me.

Q. Most of us are asking the questions of other players about you. So if you had to explain who you are, how you do what you do, what you like, what you don't like, what would that be?

LUDVIG ABERG: As a player or as a person?

Q. As a person.

LUDVIG ABERG: As a person, I would say I'm a very calm person. I don't get too high, not too low. I like to see myself as a very nice, considerate, I don't -- you know, I want to treat people the way that I want to be treated, and I think that's very important.

You know, I like to keep my feet where they are and not get too caught up in the moment or something like that. So I like to view myself as a nice person. But I guess it's up to other people to do that.

Q. Who did you look up to when you were a kid in regards to playing and who do you want to emulate?

LUDVIG ABERG: I think the main guy when I grew up was obviously Tiger because of what he did for the game, just the pure dominance that he had.

But for me as a young kid growing up in Sweden, I think Henrik Stenson was a big deal for us. He had a lot of success both here on the DP World and on the PGA TOUR. He's probably the one that I looked up to the most, yeah.

Q. You played with Rory on Monday. How did you find that experience and were you playing against him or with him?

LUDVIG ABERG: He's good. He's very good. But yeah, me and Viktor played a match against him and Tommy. We winded up winning on the 16th hole which was fun.

Obviously his resumé speaks for itself and what he's done and did for the game is quite incredible, and to watch that firsthand was pretty cool. I'm sure he's going to do well.

Q. You beat him, you said?

LUDVIG ABERG: Me and Viktor beat them in best-ball. It was fun.

Q. You mentioned Henrik Stenson. He's tied to this event in various contexts. Have you spoken to him in the build up to Rome?

LUDVIG ABERG: Very briefly on text, not too much but hopefully we'll be able to do that in the future.

Q. Viktor spoke about the shared culture that you may have with yourself and Nicolai. How can you use that?

LUDVIG ABERG: Yeah, I think kind of like what I touched on before, where I think as European, we have that team camaraderie, and it is a team event. We normally play for ourselves but now we are actually playing for something else and something bigger.

I think, you know to, have that support from your teammates next to you is going to be crucial and if you don't feel that, it's going to be difficult to perform but because that's going to give you a little bit of an edge I think.

So I think the day we had in Rome was great for that reason and I think we need to keep that up the next few weeks, too.

Q. How does the Scandinavian culture that you say impact potential partnerships?

LUDVIG ABERG: It's great. So me and Viktor, we can speak the same language. I can't do that with Nicolai because Danish is very difficult. It makes it a little bit easier and we are kind of coming from the same background. So I guess we can relate to each other on a similar level.

For me it's a lot of fun to be around those environments and be around those guys and learn and pick up some stuff here and there and try to apply that to my own game.

Q. Spoke to Peter Hanson at some length last week. Could you just explain to me when his role is in your organisation?

LUDVIG ABERG: So me and Peter, I guess we've known each other for the last couple years, but I would say for the last year and a half probably, we've gotten to work together more Colonial. He's more of a mentor to me just because he has so much experience on the biggest stages in golf. It would be foolish for me to not take advantage of that.

Plus, I really love the way he resonates about a lot of stuff. He's very sound. He's very healthy, I think. So I try to be around him as much as possible and learn and listen to him and kind of do what he did, yeah.

Q. Is he with you now?

LUDVIG ABERG: He is here this week, yes.

Q. He told me that he was actually going to be with you every day until after The Ryder Cup.

LUDVIG ABERG: Yeah. We're going to Spain next week.

Q. Where in Spain? (Laughter).

LUDVIG ABERG: Southern Spain.

Q. You're not going to the Solheim Cup, are you?

LUDVIG ABERG: I am, actually, for a few days. My caddie, Jack, his fiancée is playing the Solheim Cup, Madelene Sagstrom. So we're going to be there a few days and root for the Europeans and then try to do some practise as well.

Q. When you received your pick, Luke Donald spoke about how in 2004, he had received a pick before going on to win in Crans, whereas you won in Crans and then he picked you. Do you believe in that sort of symmetry?

LUDVIG ABERG: Yeah, I guess, I usually don't believe in stuff like that. But obviously Luke, he's had a great career, both as a player and now as a captain.

I think any time you get mentioned in the same sentence as Luke, it's usually something very positive. So obviously very happy about him picking me for The Ryder Cup, yeah.

Q. A lot that's been said about how well you drive the golf ball. When you went to Marco Simone and stood on the tees and the rough is very thick, did you immediately see why that would be a good weapon?

LUDVIG ABERG: I think so. Obviously with the rough being pretty thick, it's going to be key to be good off the tee and being in the fairway. So I can definitely see that value and try to get it in the fairway.

You know, I've only played it once, so try to get some better lies next time, but it will be nice, yeah.

Q. Just talking about your sort of temperament, don't get too high, don't get too low, Rory said he cried when he was watching reruns of Brookline and cried at Whistling Straits. When was the last time you cried after a round of golf?

LUDVIG ABERG: Last time I cried, when Liverpool beat Barcelona in the semifinals in 2019.

Q. What about golf?

LUDVIG ABERG: Not sure.

Q. You said you like to think of yourself as a calm and considerate and a nice person. Will that switch; will you be an animal in The Ryder Cup?

LUDVIG ABERG: An animal? I'm not sure about an animal. No, I can't tell you that, sorry (laughter).