As he prepares to take part in his third Master Tournament, Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg talks about his preparation and confidence heading into the season’s firs major championship after strong recent results, as well as his growing familiarity with Augusta National. He also reflects on what he has learned from his first two appearances and how he approaches the course, including managing its challenges and maintaining consistency, and discusses the tournament’s traditions, the competitive field, and personal aspects such as his experiences off the course.
You’re coming into Masters week with great momentum from your strong results in March. How is your preparation going, and how much confidence does that give you returning to Augusta with two Top-10s already under your belt?
Yeah, for sure. Every time I think about Augusta, it makes me smile. So I always look forward to it. Obviously, it’s the first major of the year. There’s a lot of buzz around the tournament, which I really love. It’s cool to be part of such a great tournament. I feel like I’ve had a nice couple of weeks leading into this. I had a good tournament last week. Now I’m coming here with fresh legs and I’m looking forward to continuing that momentum.
Now that you have two full Masters behind you, do certain parts of the Augusta National course feel more —or less — challenging?
Yeah, I think looking back at the last two times I’ve been here, I’ve put a lot of work into getting to know the golf course. This year feels a little different. I feel like I know it better. There are certain shots where, during the practice rounds, we’ve hit some extra chips or putts. I feel like I understand those spots more than I did a couple of years ago. Does that make it easier? Maybe. But you still have to execute the shots. Augusta is a place where certain shots and certain misses are very important. It really rewards patience and discipline. That will be the biggest challenge this week, and I’m definitely looking forward to it.
What are the biggest lessons you’ve taken from your first two appearances here, and how have they shaped your approach this time around?
Yeah, I think Augusta is a place where you can’t really force it. You just have to hit every shot as well as you can and execute. You try to come up with a game plan that eliminates big mistakes. You almost have to let it come to you instead of trying to force things or make something happen. I think that’s what I’ve done well over the last two years when I’ve been here. It’s definitely something I’m trying to do again this year. My strategy and game plan don’t really change. But you still have to hit the fairways, hit the greens, and make the plays.
Many veterans lean on decades of course knowledge here. Heading into just your third Masters, how do you make up for that experience gap, especially on these incredibly complex greens?
Yeah, the greens are tricky. We have a general idea of where they’re going to place the pins. Based on the last couple of years, we kind of know what they’ve done. I lean a lot on my caddie. Our partnership is very valuable to me, and it’s been that way since the first time I came here. We always have conversations about certain things. Sometimes you just have to take your medicine. It’s a very visual golf course. It can trick you into trying shots or going for things that might not be the best play. But overall, I think we have a pretty good idea of what to do.
How does your practice week here at Augusta differ from a regular Tour event? What is your absolute main focus right now?
Yeah, it’s a tricky balance. With the Par 3 course, it’s different from a normal tournament. Usually, Wednesdays are more like a Pro-Am-day. But today we were able to relax a bit and spend time with friends and family. That’s a really cool tradition they have here. Other than that, because it’s a long week and there’s a lot going on, I try to limit my practice. I focus on maintaining and conserving energy more than anything else. We also took an earlier trip here a few weeks ago—two or three weeks ago—just to play the course. That’s not something I would normally do for a regular tournament. It makes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday a bit easier during tournament week.
There is such a rich history of European Masters champions — from Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam, to Sergio Garcia, Danny Willett and most recently, Rory McIlroy. How motivating is the thought of joining that elite list, and what’s the final piece of the puzzle for you to win the Green Jacket?
Yeah, obviously the green jacket is one of the most sought-after prizes in golf. There’s a reason for that—because it is Augusta National and the Masters. I met Sir Nick Faldo today and shook his hand, which was pretty cool. I’ll be playing with Jon Rahm tomorrow, who obviously won here a few years ago. There’s a long tradition of great golfers winning this tournament, and hopefully one day I can be one of them.
Looking at the field this week, who do you see as the absolute strongest contenders, and who are you most excited to go up against?
I’m looking forward to playing with Jon Rahm tomorrow. I’ve actually never played a tournament round with him. We’ve played some practice rounds together at the Ryder Cup. He’s obviously one of the best players in the world, and I’d expect him to be up there on Sunday. There are a few others as well—Scottie, Rory, and Xander come to mind when I think about it, but we will see what happens in a couple of days.
Away from the golf course, what is your number one ‘must-do’ during Masters week? Have you established any personal traditions here yet?
Not quite. We’ve moved around a little bit. We’ve stayed in houses in roughly the same area, but we’ve switched houses every year. So I haven’t really had the same place each time. I try to keep things very light. It’s a long week and on Monday after the Masters I felt a bit exhausted. You want to have the most energy on Sunday. But you also need to maintain that energy throughout the week and still spend time with your family. I’ve got my parents and my sister here, which is really cool. They don’t come over very often, so it’s great to have everyone together in the house. That’s the main thing—just spending time and hanging out together.
Augusta is famous for its Pimento Cheese and Egg Salad sandwiches. Be honest: Are you actually a fan of the legendary Masters food, or do you stick strictly to your own diet during tournament week?
I don’t love the Pimento Cheese, I’ve tried it multiple times. Every year I feel like I have to have it once, but the flavor is just very strong for me, so I don’t necessarily love it. The club sandwich is my favourite, or the ham on rye — that one’s always good too.
Driving down Magnolia Lane is one of the most iconic experiences in golf. If you could pick any dream car in the world to make that drive, what would it be and why?
I would choose the one I’m currently driving, the Mercedes-Benz GLE. I just love it — it’s a classic car, it’s sporty, and I feel like it really suits me. So I would pick that one.
Read the full article here