Ludvig Aberg has an interesting explanation behind why he thinks he’s a fast player

ORLANDO — Pace of play seems to be an inescapable topic on the PGA Tour, and Ludvig Aberg is just the latest to prove the point that the ongoing problem dogging the game is clearly front of mind.

Without prompting, Aberg delivered a verbal dagger to his peers on Wednesday at Bay Hill Club ahead of this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. The talented Swede, winner three weeks ago at the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines, was first asked how he might want to emulate World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion. Aberg offered a thoughtful reply.

“Yeah, I think there's a lot of things that obviously Scottie's doing really well. The way that he controls the ball flight is one of the things that stands out to me. I like the idea that, I mean I can't speak for him, but it seems like from watching that he's aggressive off the tee, but fairly conservative into the greens, which allows him to get a lot of chances. He's very disciplined in the way that he plays golf, which is why he's won here twice and he's won on really hard golf courses, won Memorial. I think that would be sort of a strategy that I would like to emulate a little bit more. Just to make sure that you give yourself plenty of chances. But you're also being aggressive when you have the opportunity to do so.”

Then came a follow-up question: What do you think is the one thing people would want to take from your game?

Oh boy, here it comes: “Oh, pace of play maybe,” Aberg said, smiling broadly.

(Pause)

“I would like to think that I'm quick, and I would like to think that I make my decisions pretty fast. I think that's something that is a good thing.”

Well, he isn’t wrong. It is a good thing. It’s also kind of rare.

Aberg, 25, figures that his penchant for promptness on the course can be traced to his experience growing up. He wasn’t much for practice but played quite a lot with his buddies. “When I played, I didn't want to be the guy that people were waiting for. I just don't like playing slow, and I want the round to sort of have a nice tempo and a nice flow to it, I guess. So if it comes from that, I don't know. But it stuck with me.”

The third-year pro, who has top-25 finishes in his first two appearances at Bay Hill, is the exception that proves the rule that a more methodical approach isn’t necessary for success. The current leader in the FedEx Cup standings, Aberg ranks fourth in the world and owns two PGA Tour wins, four runner-up finishes and has made the cut in 35 of 40 starts. He also has one DP World Tour title and as a rookie was chosen for the 2023 European Ryder Cup team after completing a stellar college career at Texas Tech.

It seems like the biggest challenge he has faced since becoming the first player to earn a card via the PGA Tour University program is learning how to deal with delays without losing his mind or his cool.

“My tendency is to sort of walk fast, too, so I almost have to slow myself down a little bit when I'm walking. The decisions that I make, they're still going to be quick and they're still going to be decisive, but when I'm walking between shots, I might slow it down just a tick.”

However he is dealing with it, it seems to be working.