GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 10, 2024

Ludvig Aberg

The Renaissance Club

Press Conference

BRIONY CARLYON: Delighted to be joined by Ludvig Ã…berg here at the Genesis Scottish Open. You have two weeks coming up in Scotland, looking ahead to The Open week. But how important is it to prepare here at the Renaissance Club, and what are you hoping to get out of the week?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: Yeah, absolutely, it's a world-class event and it's really fun to be here. The golf course is hard but the weather looks to be decent, I think. So fingers crossed. But don't expect too much.

Got to play this event last year for the first time and it's nice to be back, and obviously playing in Europe is fun.

BRIONY CARLYON: Speaking about playing in Europe, what do you make of the fans in Europe comparative to America, and what do you enjoy about playing in front of the crowds over here?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: It's so much fun. The crowds are great and are always very supportive in Europe. I'd like to think that it's a little bit different playing in America, obviously it's great as well but over here it's almost like I'm one of their own and it's fun to feel that and fun to feel the support and hopefully give them something to cheer this year, as well, this week.

Q. You came here last year last year and a lot of people didn't know a lot about you and maybe it was new for you as well.

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: It definitely feels a little bit different. I'm more familiar with the clubs now and I know a little bit more what to expect and what's going on. But I still feel fortunate to be able to play these events, and it's been a great 12 months since.

Yeah, like you said, if someone told me this would happen in 12 months, I'm not sure I would believe that guy. But on the other hand, I feel like I've always had great people around me, people that I trust, the people that helped me a lot.

So I try to keep it that way, and then hope to be back here.

Q. Did you play Troon recently?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: I did, with Viktor on Monday.

Q. Can you tell us what you thought of the venue?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: It was great. We had a very uncharacteristic day in Scotland where it was 20 degrees, sunny and no wind. I don't think it will be that way next week, at least we don't expect it to be. But the golf course was great. It was tough. It was my first time there. I remembered a lot of those holes from when Henrik won in 2016. I think that should be a national holiday in Sweden; it was very cool.

The place is really cool. It will be challenging, obviously the back nine and front nine are a little bit different. The front nine is a little bit easier and more gettable. And then you make the switch here on 10, and all of a sudden you get the wind into your face. It will be a good challenge and looking forward to it.

Q. Did you get the conditions where the prevailing wind is downhill on the front nine?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: We had it that way but it was very light. It was nothing like I know what it can be there. So it will probably look a little bit different next week but it was still good to see it.

Q. You mention Henrik winning there in 2016 in record fashion. Have you ever spoke to him about it or seen it on TV or YouTube?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: Yeah, I definitely remember watching it as it happened. I was in high school at the time. It was a cool day for Swedish golf. Obviously what he's done for Swedish golf is amazing. I've never talked to him about it but hopefully we can share a conversation about that.

Q. What have you learned about yourself on in the last 12 months? What have you learned and what is there still to learn?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: That's a good question. I think there's always things you learn about yourself, whether you're playing well or not. I do understand I love being in those situations and I love playing golf. I think I try to hold onto that as firmly as I can because it is a different environment playing golf here and on tour and I try not to do it as my job. I just want to be that 16-year-old kid that plays golf and absolutely loves it.

So I try to keep holding onto that, and I think that's very important. But yeah I feel very, very fortunate to be able to do this for a living.

Q. Obviously the U.S. Open, disappointing. Great temperament, etc., but do you learn from that as much as the successes?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: It was definitely bigger -- if you will, because I felt like, it was my first U.S. Open. I was expecting a tough test, and we got that.

But looking back, I was very, very happy the way I played, the first 36 holes, 45 holes, something like that. So there's still a lot to take with me, even though -- I always feel hike every time you put yourself in those situations, it's just going to get easier and easier as do you it, and I guess that's the way that I try to view it.

Q. You mention high school and watching Henrik. This is probably an unfair question, but did he get more attention, do you recall, for winning the Claret Jug or the Silver Medal at the Olympics, just given the Olympics?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: I think looking back, it was probably The Open that was a bigger thing. I mean, I vividly remember watching it sitting at home, and I think most Swedes that somewhat likes golf did that. It was a great day for Swedish golf, and hopefully we can have a few more of those in the future.

Q. You're talking about The Open?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: Yes.

Q. Do you recall much about his Silver?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: Yes, I do remember watching it. I was actually in the car watching it. We were driving, me and my friends. But yeah, I do think The Open was a little bit bigger.

Q. You're not supposed to be watching car in the TV by the way.

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: I was not driving. (Laughter).

Q. You were pictured on a golf course back home, what was the backstory on that -- and the breakfast bowl as was suggested?

LUDVIG ÅBERG: I spent the last two weeks in Sweden, which was very nice. We had some nice days and nice weather at times. I tried to work on my game and Barsebäck is a great golf course reclose to where I live, and they have hosted DP World Tour events and European Tour events in the past. They were nice enough to let me play.

And yes, I need a breakfast bowl every now and then, as was the case when someone took that video. It's a nice place and I always like coming back and playing there.

Q. How does that conversation go, just pick up the phone and call the golf course and say --

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: Yeah, it wasn't necessarily me that picked up the phone and called. I think I was given the green light by my management company. I guess they asked and then said if it was okay to hang out there for a day.

Q. And do they make a big thing when you show up?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: I mean, I think all I tried to do was just, you know, be myself and play golf there. Yes, people are going to recognize me for playing golf and those things, but it's not, you know, it's not like Tiger Woods is walking into the building.

Q. At North Berwick, I think Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler played and by the time they got to 18 there was a crowd. Have you ever had that experience?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: Yeah, we had a similar -- I was playing at a golf course in Sweden called Falsterbo, which is on the south tip. It's a links-style course, very nice, could be very windy. We had a fairly big crowd going around and the last couple holes it got a little bigger. It's very cool and very flattering, and I think it's cool that people care about Swedish golf.

Q. You seem fairly grounded with perspective from the start but I'm wondering if the start of your, let's call it June through the Ryder Cup part of your career, did that do anything from an expectation standpoint internally?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: You mean last year?

Q. Yeah?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: Yeah, I think for me, looking back at last year -- but yeah, I think looking back at last year, I didn't really know what to expect once I turned pro, and it was a lot of unknowns in the way that I had never played a tour schedule. I played a few events as an amateur but never played four in a row and never, you know, done all those things and never worked with a caddie before.

There's just a lot going on.

But I felt like we handled it very well and I guess that stretch, once I started up until the Ryder Cup, it was very cool and I got over and played a few here in Europe as well. Fortunately played very well and Luke gave me the pick for the Ryder Cup. I didn't think of it as much at the time but now, it was very cool for me to hang out with those guys and to be in that environment with the best players in the world. I haven't experienced that at the time before but it led me to understand and realise what they do so well and I tried to pick up on that. I felt like it helped me going forward.

Q. When you end the year, a victory on each tour and Ryder Cup experience and all that, did that reshape expectations for this year?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: Yeah, I think naturally, I think so. I think goals are important to have. I think it's very, very sound to have things that you strive for and work for. And I think with the play that I had last year, yes, it opened up the doors to play bigger events and it made me realise that I do a lot of good things and it made me realise that I can try to take advantage of that.

But yeah, I think, you know, as a competitor, we all try to play well and we all try to have high -- I'm always going to have very, very high expectations of myself every time I play a tournament.

So yeah, I think it changed a little bit but yeah, obviously very happy with the way it turned out.

Q. Ever since golf got back into the Olympics, people have been trying to figure out, where does a medal sit relative to other achievements. As a game, is it bigger than a major, just below a major, is it bigger than a PGA TOUR win. For someone who has never phone different, golf being an Olympic sport. Where does an Olympic medal rank for you?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: Very high, of course. It's difficult to say. Obviously the Olympics is the Olympics. I remember watching it growing up and I remember watching Usain Bolt run the 100 metres and Michael Phelps winning the millions of medals that he's got. It was very cool. I think just the experience of representing your country comes with a lot of pride, and it's a feeling that I bet is going to be difficult to compare with.

But yes, obviously looking forward to it a lot but I think it's difficult to rank it. Obviously when you're playing, you want to represent you as well as you can and obviously represent your country as well as you can.

Q. Have you got any plans to go to the Opening Ceremony or if you're able to take in other sports?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: I'm definitely want to watch other sports while I'm there. I'm trying to do that. I'm going to stay in the Village at night, as well, to soak it in. I'm not sure I want to go in the gym because I'll feel not as big.

But yeah, I definitely want to watch the athletics. I think for me, that's Olympics a little bit. That's what I remember growing up and watching and the high jumps and the 300 metres or 400 metres and all these things. Definitely want to try to do that and see what we get.

Q. What's it like to attend Wimbledon alongside somebody who is a very, very good tennis player?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: Wimbledon was very, very cool. I've always liked tennis. I've always watched the bigger tournaments. But then obviously when I started hanging out with Olivia, my girlfriend, she played tennis in college, and I've naturally gotten into it a little bit more.

But we had a great -- she loved it. It was very cool for me to have that experience with her. Yeah, the place is so cool. There are a lot of similarities between golf and tennis. Wimbledon and Centre Court is kind of like their mechanism can a. For me to experience that from afar was pretty cool.

Q. Did you get brownie points for you for taking Olivia there?

LUDVIG Ã…BERG: Yeah, I mean she wasn't mad at me, so that was good, I guess.

BRIONY CARLYON: Thank you for your time, Ludvig, and all the best this week.