Issues didn’t come straightforward for the sweet-swinging Swedish phenom on Thursday on the RSM Basic.
The truth is, the precise reverse occurred.
Defending champion Ludvig Åberg carded a 3-over 73 throughout the first spherical, his first aggressive begin since he had knee surgical procedure on a torn meniscus in September.
Remarkably, Åberg started his title protection with a birdie on the par-4 1st, as he caught a wedge from 116 yards to 11 ft away and drained the putt. However then he made uncharacteristic errors. On the par-3 third, he left his strategy quick and within the sand lure, which led to his first dropped shot of the day. On the subsequent gap, the par-4 4th, Åberg tugged his tee shot into the marsh, which led to his second straight bogey. Then, on the par-3 sixth, with the wind whipping off the correct, Åberg hit his strategy lengthy, because it skipped off the again of the inexperienced and down into a group space. He then missed an eight-footer for par.
The 2023 Ryder Cup star shot a 2-over 37 on the entrance 9, then made his greatest blunder of the day on the 406-yard par-4 tenth. He pushed his drive proper into the penalty space. Then, after taking a drop, he fatted his wedge into the entrance proper bunker that protects the inexperienced. He then compounded these errors by hitting a poor sand shot and proceeded to three-putt for a triple-bogey seven from 50 ft away. He instantly sat at 5-over.
“It was arduous. Clearly, it was a tough day,” Åberg stated.
“It was plenty of rust, I felt like, however I additionally felt like the nice was fairly good, however the unhealthy was actually unhealthy.
Good on Åberg for preserving it optimistic within the face of adversity. However how he performed his remaining eight holes speaks volumes in regards to the 25-year-old star, too. He did so in 2-under, due to a 36-footer he drained on the par-3 twelfth and a two-putt birdie on the par-5 fifteenth. An all-world up-and-down on the par-3 seventeenth stored him at 3-over general.
“There’s some technical issues that I’m engaged on in my swing,” Åberg added.
“I need to, I assume, load it slightly bit higher, and that’s the place that miss comes with the driving force. Each occasions the place I put myself in bother at present, it was off the tee. If I can repair these issues and get slightly bit higher, I feel tomorrow can be slightly bit nicer.”
The final time he performed the Plantation Course at Sea Island, he carded a 5-under 67 in spherical one a yr in the past. He then posted 64-61-61 over the ultimate three rounds on the Seaside Course, so the potential for Åberg to make these changes and go low on Friday is actually there.
But, the previous Texas Tech Pink Raider is simply blissful to be again taking part in once more as a result of his knee had bothered him for months earlier than his operation. However now, he’s feeling 100%, and that’s what’s most necessary.
“A little bit little bit of the whole lot at present,” Åberg stated.
“However all in all, fairly blissful to be again taking part in golf once more.”
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. Make sure to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.