SAN DIEGO — Ludvig Aberg is feeling a lot better about San Diego than the last time he was here.
The world’s sixth-ranked golfer, who was so sick three weeks ago during the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course that he lost nearly 10 pounds, made four birdies in the final six holes Sunday to rally for a one-shot victory over Maverick McNealy at the Genesis Invitational.
Aberg wrapped up the victory with a birdie putt from 6 feet, 9 inches on the par-5 final hole, celebrating with a fist pump. About a half-hour earlier, McNealy missed a 15-foot birdie attempt at the same hole.
With a 6-under 66 on Sunday, Aberg finished 72 holes in 12-under 276 on Torrey Pines’ demanding South Course, which hosted the Genesis after wildfires burned within a few blocks of the tournament’s usual home at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, about 125 miles north of San Diego.
“To come here to win this event is really special,” Aberg said. “… Coming down the last couple holes is the most fun you’ll ever have, I think, and that was the case today and I think I used that to my advantage.”
Aberg said “it felt like a lifetime” since he’d won. In reality, it was 15 months since his only previous victory on the PGA Tour, at the RSM Classic in November 2023. The 25-year-old Swede turned pro in June of that year after an outstanding amateur career. He finished second three times in 2024, including at the Masters.
“It is hard winning on the PGA Tour; they’re the best players in the world,” he said.
It’s even more difficult when you’re sick, which is what happened after the second round of the Farmers. He opened the tournament with a 63 on the easier North Course, struggled to a 75 in brutal weather conditions the next day, then spent the night throwing up. Aberg tried to play the next week at Pebble Beach but withdrew after the first round and went home to Florida to rest. He didn’t practice for almost a week.
A week and a half later, he accepted a trophy from Tiger Woods, the tournament host who appeared here Sunday for the first time this week following the recent death of his mother.
“To win his event, he means so much to our game and to our tour, it’s really cool, it means a lot,” Aberg said.
For a couple hours it appeared Woods would be handing the trophy to a fellow Stanford University alumnus after McNealy shot an 8-under 64, the best round of the tournament, including a run of five straight birdies and nine in his first 13 holes. But after opening a two-shot lead, he played the final five holes in 1 over.
“Yeah, 9 under through 13 on this golf course, I’m pretty proud of that,” he said. “You know, a few golf swings I’d like to have back. You know, hit it off a post on 17. I was actually trying to hit it over in the right matted-down area where we made birdie from on Friday and ended up in an unlucky spot, but that’s golf.”
Aberg said he looked at the on-course leaderboards whenever he could, and knew what kind of round McNealy had going.
“I definitely saw what he was doing,” Aberg said. “Obviously I think he got to 12 (under) pretty early and I was sort of stuck at 7, 8, something like that. Had a big putt on 12 for par, probably a six-, seven-footer left to right that I made. I think if I hadn’t made that one, I don’t think I would have won today.”
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who shot a 76 on Saturday to fall into a tie for eighth, was 10 shots better Sunday and finished at 9 under, tied for third with third-round leader Patrick Rodgers, who remained winless in nearly 300 PGA Tour starts after shooting a 1-under 71.
“Overall put up a good fight,” Scheffler said. “I didn’t have what was my best stuff this week and still found a way to give myself a chance in the tournament. A few less mistakes over the weekend and could be a different story.”
The Genesis is one of eight Signature Events on the PGA Tour, with limited fields and additional purse money and FedEx Cup points. Aberg earned $4 million from the $20 million purse and took over the top spot in the FedEx Cup standings.
–Jay Posner, Field Level Media
