Ludvig Åberg Is Following Rory McIlroy's Early Major Path, and Shinnecock Could Change Everything
Apr 16, 2026; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Ludvig berg reacts to his third tee shot during the first round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Apr 16, 2026; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Ludvig berg reacts to his third tee shot during the first round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Swedish golfer Ludvig Åberg heads to Shinnecock Hills next month following the exact statistical trajectory of Rory McIlroy’s early major career.
A statistical comparison posted by Underdog Golf on X gained significant attention from the golf community on May 18. Through 10 starts, the Swede mirrors McIlroy’s record of top finishes without a win.
According to Underdog, Åberg has zero wins, three top-10s, and six top-25s. McIlroy won his 11th major start, and Åberg will make his 11th next month at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
The 26-year-old has been finishing among the leaders since his debut at Augusta National, where he finished runner-up in his first Masters appearance.
Swedish star Ludvig Åberg has already won multiple titles, including the 2023 RSM Classic, the 2023 Omega European Masters, and the 2025 Genesis Invitational. He entered the 2026 PGA Championship ranked No. 15 in the world.
At Aronimink this week, Åberg showed why many people are comparing him to McIlroy. Åberg consistently gained strokes tee-to-green throughout the PGA Championship.
The problem was the putter. It was the one area where he lost strokes, and in a major, that's the one area where you can't afford to struggle.
He's been here before: strong tee-to-green numbers, a good position on the leaderboard, and a short game that fails to hold up when the pressure rises.
The pattern is clear, and so is the fix, at least according to the evidence right in front of him.
Ludvig Åberg Faces a Key Putting Problem in Major Events
Åberg led the field in ball-striking at the 2026 PGA Championship. He lost strokes on the greens. That combination, elite from tee to green but vulnerable on the putting surface, is the same profile Scottie Scheffler had before his game changed completely.
Scheffler ranked 162nd in Strokes Gained: Putting on the PGA Tour in 2023. He changed his putter after advice from Rory McIlroy and started using a TaylorMade Spider Tour X mallet.
He won in his very first week with the new putter. Soon after, he also won The Players Championship and The Masters Tournament.
Aaron Rai, who won the Wanamaker Trophy at Aronimink, became the fifth major champion in the last six majors to use a TaylorMade Spider putter.
The numbers tell that his ball-striking is already good enough to win majors. But his putting remains the biggest challenge in his game.
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Written by
Sneha Abraham
Edited by
Pulkit Prabhav