Ludvig Åberg experienced a dramatic turnaround after a tough outing at Torrey Pines three weeks ago, where he shared the 36-hole lead but was struck by a stomach illness, finishing with a 79. That frustrating memory made his victory on Sunday even sweeter.
This time, Åberg found himself three shots behind and running out of holes. However, he executed three near-perfect shots for birdies and capped his strong comeback with a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole, posting a 6-under 66. His performance secured him a one-shot win over Maverick McNealy in the Genesis Invitational.
Due to wildfires in Los Angeles, the tournament had to be moved from Riviera to Torrey Pines, a course Åberg enjoys playing. As the win seemed imminent, he turned to his caddie, Joe Skovron, and remarked, “This Sunday is a lot more fun than the last one we had.”
“It felt great to come here and finally start feeling like myself again, both physically and mentally,” he said. “This means a lot to me. There’s no better feeling in golf, and being able to perform the way I did today will definitely give me confidence moving forward.”
Ludvig Åberg had his first meeting with Tiger Woods a few weeks ago at the indoor TGL in Florida. However, this moment felt even more special — Woods was there to present him with the trophy for his second PGA Tour win, marking his third worldwide victory and propelling him to No. 4 in the world rankings.
“It’s reassuring to see how I could go from where I was a couple of weeks ago to winning a tournament in such a short time,” Åberg said.
Maverick McNealy, who secured his first tour win just three months ago, came close to claiming another victory. He started strong at Torrey Pines with eight birdies in 11 holes and even sank a 40-foot par putt on the first hole, pushing his lead to three. However, he faced challenges on the 17th, where his drive hit a pole and left him with a tough lie in the rough, forcing him to scramble for a par. On the 18th, he missed a birdie putt. Despite finishing with a 64, Åberg, the young rising star, was still out on the course, ready to secure the win.
Maverick McNealy, who started the day five shots behind, said, “It’s more than I could have asked for.” He acknowledged Ludvig Åberg’s impressive performance, adding, “I knew with that leaderboard, it was going to take some great golf to get it done.”
Tiger Woods, who had withdrawn from the tournament earlier in the week due to the passing of his mother, Kultida, watched much of the action from the broadcast booth. In tribute to her, players wore red buttons with the Thai symbol of love.
Åberg’s remarkable comeback began with a crucial 6-foot par putt on the 12th hole. He followed that up with a birdie on the 13th after a 50-foot two-putt, then hit a perfect shot on the challenging 14th hole, setting up a 5-foot birdie. On the 15th, he drained a 25-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead.
On the par-5 18th, Åberg, from the middle of the fairway, hit a 7-wood from about 70 feet, rolling it within 7 feet of the hole and calmly sinking the putt for the win.
“It was a great fight,” Åberg said afterward. “I’m really proud of the way I finished. It was really cool.”
Ludvig Åberg, with a final score of 12-under 276, claimed a $4 million prize for his third victory worldwide since turning professional in June 2023, after a successful college career at Texas Tech.
Scottie Scheffler, who had a 10-shot improvement from his third round, shot a 66 to tie for third place with Patrick Rodgers, who carded a 71.
Scheffler, after a tough 76 on Saturday, which was his highest score in nearly three years, made a strong attempt to rally. He started with a 31 on the front nine, including five birdies and a chip-in on the fifth hole, closing in on the lead. However, mistakes kept him from fully capitalizing. On the par-3 11th, a tricky chip left him with a bogey, and although he kept himself in contention with a bunker shot birdie on 15, he bogeyed the 16th after another bunker shot. He finished with a 66, securing third place on his own.
Scheffler played alongside Rory McIlroy, putting five shots between them by the front nine. McIlroy struggled with his putting throughout the round and ended with a bogey on the 18th after hitting into the water, finishing with a 72.
During the final round, both Patrick Rodgers and Denny McCarthy, who were part of the last group, briefly held the lead before the challenging back nine on the South Course took its toll on them.
Rodgers dropped out of contention after back-to-back bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes, and he was unable to recover. McCarthy, who briefly took the lead after an eagle on the par-5 sixth, struggled to make birdies thereafter, only adding one more on the final hole. He finished with a 71, tying for fifth place.