Ludvig Aberg kept up the recent trend of European winners on the PGA Tour as he produced a birdie on the final hole of the tournament to win the Genesis Invitational.
It was the third week in a row that a European player had managed to taste success on the world’s premier golf tour following Rory McIlroy’s victory at the AT&T Championship and Thomas Detry’s win at the Phoenix Open.
His win at the Genesis was Aberg’s second PGA Tour success and is without doubt the biggest title of his career to date. Now back inside the world’s top four, Aberg has the game and ability to take the world of professional golf by storm and after winning one of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events, he will hope to get his hands on one of the sport’s majors when they kick off later this season.
After a brilliant weekend of action, here are the talking points to have emerged from San Diego.
Aberg produces last gasp birdie to hold off Maverick McNealy
Heading into the final round of the Genesis Invitational it was the surprise duo of Patrick Rodgers and Denny McCarthy who teed off in the final group. With both men searching for a first ever PGA title, there was always a feeling that both men could succumb to the pressure of the chasing pack and after producing some ragged golf, that is exactly what happened.
Despite world number one Scottie Scheffler exerting some early leaderboard pressure, one man who seemed to have Torrey Pines famed South Course at his mercy was Maverick McNealy.
McNealy, who signed off 2024 with a win at the RSM Classic, flew up the leaderboard by posting nine birdies in his first thirteen holes. At one stage leading by two strokes, the young American tightened up with victory in his sights.
Unable to post any further birdies in his final five holes, he would sign off with a brilliant round of 64 and a clubhouse total of -11.
After an indifferent start to his final round where he paired two opening birdies and with two bogeys, Ludvig Aberg showed exactly why so many in the sport he has the game and temperament to take him right to the top of the game.
Despite his early stutters, Aberg got his round back on track on the seventh hole and he produced another birdie on the ninth to make the turn at -2.
Trailing McNealy by three strokes, he erased that deficit with three successive birdies on the 13th, 14th and 15th holes. Knowing that McNealy had failed to convert a birdie on the final hole, Aberg headed up the par 5 18th knowing that a birdie would be enough for victory.
Knocking his third shot to within six feet of the hole, Aberg made no mistake with his putter and drained the putt into the middle of the cup to land the biggest title of his career.
For many it was a case of when and not if Aberg would get his hands on one of the PGA Tour’s biggest titles and few would be surprised that it has arrived as early as it did.
With this win boosting his ranking and his bank balance, expect Aberg to kick on to even greater things this season.
Familiar story for Scottie Scheffler as Rory McIlroy crashes back down to earth with a bang
It seems a ridiculous thing to say considering how difficult professional golf is, but after his historic 2024, the fact that Scottie Scheffler has now gone three tournaments without a win, it has to be considered a drought.
The Genesis was Scheffler’s third straight week of action following a top ten effort at the AT&T and a 25th place effort at the Phoenix Open and he arrived at San Diego looking to kick off his season with yet another Signature Event victory.
Finding himself in touch heading into the third round, the world number one pushed too hard and would sign off a frustrating day with a disappointing four over round of 76.
Seemingly out of the running thanks to his poor showing on Saturday, Scheffler once again showed why you can never rule him out of contention as he made another trademark surge up the Sunday leaderboard.
Posting five birdies in his first nine holes, Scheffler couldn’t keep the momentum going. A bogey on the 11th would be costly and despite birdies on the 13th and 15th holes, there was too much ground to make up on Aberg and McNealy and he would have to settle for a third place finish.
By his own admission Scheffler simply loves to win and he will be frustrated that he is yet to get on the board. He will rest this week but few would be surprised if his first victory were to come when we see him next at the Arnold Palmer.
Whilst Scheffler has been striving for his first victory of 2025, one man who has already tasted success this year is Rory McIlroy and the nature of his victory at the AT&T Championship a few weeks ago suggested that McIlroy’s long wait for a fifth major might finally come to an end this year.
What has been so impressive about McIlroy’s game in recent weeks is that he has looked in complete control of his swing and the costly mistakes that have led to his eleven year major drought were yet to rear their ugly head this season.
After battling his way back into contention in the second round, he started his third round two strokes off the lead but like Scheffler would endure a nightmare of a third round. Producing the worst putting performance of his PGA Tour career, McIlroy missed a string of short putts and saw himself drop tamely out of contention.
His frustrations would become compounded in the fourth round. He would miss numerous fairways as he tried to battle back but with his game on a ragged state the four time major winner would have to settle for a seventeenth place finish.
After looking so serene to start the season, the Genesis was a reality check for McIlroy and he will hope that this week was just a blip and he can get back to winning ways when he returns to action in a few weeks.
Jack Hartman
A keen golfer and huge fan of the game, Jack has been covering golf for the last five years. Bringing you all the latest coverage and news from the PGA, LIV, LPGA and DP World Tours, never before has golf been so popular and Jack can’t wait to bring all the excitement to his readers.
