Record-setting play fuels Aberg's Win, Yang claims LPGA Tour Championship | The Sunday Swing

The Sunday Swing 
November 19th, 2023

Welcome back to another edition of the Sunday Swing presented by 2nd Swing Golf. This week the PGA Tour competed in Sea Island, Georgia at the RSM Classic, while the LPGA Tour was in Naples, Florida at the CME Group Tour Championship. 

RSM Classic - Tournament History 

Another newer tradition on the PGA Tour debuting in 2010, the RSM Classic is held at Sea Island Golf Club and is organized by the Davis Love Foundation. The first five editions it was known as the McGladrey Classic, until 2015 when RSM took over as the title sponsor of the event. Sea Island Golf Club was originally a nine-hole course that opened all the way back in 1928 designed by Walter Travis. In 2009, the course was completely redone by Davis and Mark Love of Love Golf Design. Sticking to the course's original roots, the course features pristine fairways, carved bunkers, and water hazards that will remind you of many Pete Dye classics like TPC Sawgrass. A par-70 measuring just over 7,000 yards, the PGA Tour’s best players often find themselves in a shootout with birdies plentiful. This week was no different, as we saw the tournament scoring record be shattered by a whopping seven strokes. The previous five champions of the event are as follows: 

2023 - Ludvig Aberg (-29)
2022 - Adam Svensson (-19)
2021 - Talor Gooch (-22)
2020 - Robert Streb (-19)
2019 - Tyler Duncan (-19)
 

The Big Swing

This week the Big Swing belongs to one of the game's most exciting young players -- Ludvig Aberg. Aberg exploded onto the scene this past year after earning Tour status via the PGA Tour University. In his debut season, the 24-year-old Swede posted four top-10s and eight top-25s while missing just one cut. Aberg also played his way onto the European Ryder Cup team and was a pivotal part of the European team’s success in Rome this September. Still seeking his first Tour title, Aberg teed it up this week among the likes of Cam Young, Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Denny McCarthy, and Eric Cole. Aberg began the week with rounds of 67 and 64 before heading to the weekend. 

Cole was also off to a hot start after opening with pair of 66’s. A lot of others were in the mix including Adam Svensson, Denny McCarthy, and Mackenzie Hughes. Hughes, who opened with rounds of 68 and 66, caught fire on the weekend. After a Saturday 60, Hughes was in position to claim another title. 

But Hughes wasn’t the only one who played stellar golf on Saturday, as Aberg and Cole both shot 61, while Tyler Duncan shot 62. 

On Sunday, it was Aberg who was able to carry over his momentum from the third round. Picking up where he left off, Aberg made five birdies on the opening nine and made the turn in 30. Hughes was able to match his front-nine 30, and it quickly became a two-horse race. 

On the back nine, Hughes tacked on a couple more birdies, but it wouldn’t be enough. Aberg kept his foot on the gas, making five more birdies on the back, including birdies on three of the final four holes. He would card another 61, playing the weekend in 18-under par. In the end it would be a commanding four-shot victory over Hughes, followed by Duncan and Cole in a tie for third place. 

Winner’s Bag - Ludvig Aberg 

Ludvig Aberg picked up his first Tour win on Sunday in dominating fashion after making 17 birdies and an eagle on the weekend in Sea Island. His bag features a decent mix, but is primarily made up of Titleist equipment. Off the tee, the young bomber plays the Titleist TSR2 Driver (9 degrees), which helped him lead the field in strokes gained off the tee. His lone fairway wood is a TaylorMade Stealth 2 (3-wood), while a Titleist 718 T-MB serves as Aberg’s utility iron. He finished 15th in strokes gained on approach shots thanks to a set of 2019 Titleist T100 irons (4-9). Aberg carries four wedges, all of which are Titleist Vokey Design SM9s (46, 50, 54, and 60 degrees). A big factor in the victory this week was the putter. The phenom finished fourth in putting with an Odyssey White Hot Versa One. 

In the World of Women’s Golf

This week the LPGA Tour was in Naples, Florida for the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club. As usual on the LPGA Tour, the stars were out this week for the season finale. Despite all the starpower in the field, it was the 34-year-old veteran Amy Yang who came out victorious. Yang, who hasn’t won an event since 2019 on the LPGA Tour was able to outduel the game’s best and earn herself the LPGA Tour’s biggest payout ever of $2 million. Yang was one of many players who were able to string together four rounds in the 60’s this week, but ultimately she was able to take it the deepest into the red. Carding rounds of 68, 63, 64, and 66, Yang posted an impressive score of 27-under par and finished three clear of her closest competitors -- Alison Lee and Nasa Hataoka. 

With the LPGA Tour season coming to a close, Lilia Vu was recognized as the Rolex Player of the Year after a stellar season in which she picked up four titles and two major championships. Vu also finished first in the Race to the CME Globe season standings, followed by Celine Boutier, Ruoning Yin, Hyo Joo Kim, and Minjee Lee.

On The DP World Tour

Nicolaj Hojgaard survived a heated final-round battle to win the DP World Tour Championship over the weekend. The leaderboard was flooded with European Ryder Cup team members, but it was Hojgaard who stood atop after 72 holes. He fired an eight-under-par 64 on Sunday to finish two shots ahead of runners-up Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, and Matt Wallace. With the win, Hojgaard moves into the Top 50 in the world rankings.

Also of note, Rory McIlroy claimed the season-long Race to Dubai crown.