Rory McIlroy's relationship with Ludvig Aberg summed up by nine-word statement

Rory McIlroy has often talked fondly about Ludvig Aberg (Image: Getty)

Rory McIlroy has made no secret of the fact he is a huge fan of golf sensation Ludvig Aberg. The Northern Irishman summed up their relationship as early as last summer, recalling how he told the prodigious talent of his excitement towards being team-mates for the 2023 Ryder Cup by saying: “I’ve been looking forward to this for a while.’”

McIlroy is currently competing against Aberg, 24, at The Tour Championship - which began on Thursday and concludes on Sunday. The pair, at opposite points in their respective careers, are both currently sitting in T10 at East Lake Golf Course but still have a slender shot at claiming the $25million (£19m) prize, with Scottie Scheffler 13 shots ahead of -21 after round two.

They first joined forces to win the Ryder Cup last year for Team Europe. The impressive Swede was the talk of the Marco Simone golf course in Rome as past and present players spoke glowingly of his ability and calm mentality at such an early stage. But McIlroy, 35, was already impressed after getting to know Aberg on a team scouting trip ahead of the competition, where he tipped him to become a huge star in golf.

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The pair won the 2023 Ryder Cup for Team Europe (Image: Getty)

“It was amazing. I’m sort of surprised it’s the first time we’d ever really done it,” McIlroy said during his pre-tournament press conference for the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, England. 

“Yeah, there’s a few new faces on the team and I thought it was a great exercise in terms of getting to know one another a little bit better. I had an opportunity to play with Ludvig for the first time on Monday, which I was excited about. I told him, ‘I said I’ve been looking forward to this for a while.’”

McIlroy added: “Everyone talks about what a great driver of the golf ball he is, which he is. The ball-striking is incredible. But I was really impressed with his wedge play and how he can sort of control his trajectory with shorter clubs. I was on the bandwagon before. Certainly at the front of it now.”

McIlroy pushed for Aberg to be on the Ryder Cup team last year without even having seen him play in person. The Swede became the first player to feature before playing in a major championship.

Aberg has enjoyed a sensational rise in golf over the past year (Image: Getty)

“I had way too many people telling me this guy was going to be one of the best,” said McIlroy when Aberg turned pro last June. “His attitude is absolutely perfect to play golf. It’s not very often the person lives up to the hype. But he lived up to the hype.”

The veteran’s glowing praise of Aberg has since been backed up by the Swede’s meteoric rise. He won his maiden PGA TOUR title at the RSM Classic in November 2023, breaking into the top 10 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Aberg went on to enjoy an impressive first season of majors in 2024. Following his Ryder Cup success, Aberg entered the Masters ninth in the world - less than a year after turning pro.

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He stayed with Scheffler for the majority of 72 holes before the world No. 1 pulled away to secure his second green jacket, coming second at 7-under despite never having played a competitive round in any major championship. Aberg went on to lead the U.S. Open after two rounds in June but finished tied in 12th place after a triple-bogey in the third round.

The talent is currently making good on McIlroy’s repeated praise by being ranked fourth in the world. And as the pair focus on seeing out the remainder of the year on a high, Aberg is taking his former team-mate’s plaudits all in his stride.

“Well, it’s very flattering,” Aberg said. “To me, it just tells me that we are doing some good things, me and my team, and we’re probably not going to change a whole lot. But obviously hearing those things from Rory and those guys is very, very encouraging.”

Rory McIlroy's relationship with Ludvig Aberg summed up by nine-word statement

Rory McIlroy's relationship with Ludvig Aberg summed up by nine-word statement

Rory McIlroy's relationship with Ludvig Aberg summed up by nine-word statement

Rory McIlroy's relationship with Ludvig Aberg summed up by nine-word statement

Rory McIlroy's relationship with Ludvig Aberg summed up by nine-word statement