PINEHURST, N.C. — Tony Finau got to watch Ludvig Aberg up close for the first time this week when he was paired with him in the first two rounds of the 124th U.S. Open.
Suffice to say, he was impressed.
Don’t get me wrong, Finau is a favorite and is focused on his game as he tries to win his first career major championship.
But he’s having a hard time keeping his eyes on Aberg, the 24-year-old Swede playing in his third career major and first U.S. Open.
Aberg is a player that everyone in golf believes will become a superstar.
And what he did in the first 36 holes of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst II was astonishing, taking the lead at five under par at the halfway point.
Aberg followed up his opening-day 66 on Friday with a 1-under 69 to move into the weekend with a one-stroke lead over Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay, Thomas Detry and Matthew Pavon, all at 4-under.
“This is the first time I’ve played against him,” Finau said. “From what I’ve seen, he’s just like a machine. Obviously I’m just focusing on my game, but he’s hitting a lot of fairways and greens. He makes it look so easy.”
Golfing is easy, even in the treacherous conditions this golf course has to offer this week.
“They say it’s the toughest test in golf, and I think that’s right,” Finau said. “I know every day is going to be tough. Every hole is going to be tough out here. Right now, I’m up for the challenge.”
The same can be said for Aberg, a Texas Tech graduate who has only been a pro for about a year but has already helped Europe win a Ryder Cup and is still playing.
He also finished runner-up at the Masters last April, winning his first major tournament.
It’s certainly been a whirlwind year for Aberg.
“Sometimes you have to stop for a second and think about how lucky you are to be able to do it at this level,” he said. “It’s definitely an incredible moment to be able to play in these tournaments and to be able to play against guys that you’ve been watching on TV for so long.”
His result at Augusta National was a big boost to his confidence.
“Augusta proved to me that I can be in that position. It was more validation that I can actually be there on Sunday and compete for the championship,” Aberg said. “And then, of course, the golf course was very difficult. It required a lot of patience and discipline, just like this time. I think what I experienced in April was great, and hopefully I can see parallels between those experiences.”
When asked what the most difficult course he had played prior to this week was, Aberg replied, “Pinehurst, because I played the U.S. Amateur here a few years ago.”
“I remember coming to America and it was my first time playing really difficult golf courses and I thought, ‘Is this what golf in America is like?'” he recalled. “Luckily, it’s not like this every week.”
This year’s US Open was a war of attrition, just as everyone expected.
In this dune horse country, Aberg is on the rail, followed closely by DeChambeau, Cantlay, Detry and Pavon.
Rory McIlroy, who is looking to end a decade since his last major win, also sits at three under par, just like Finau.
Of the top seven on the leaderboard, only McIlroy and DeChambeau have won major championships.
So as the pressure mounts over the weekend and the golf course becomes even more challenging than the first 36 holes, we can expect a lot more maneuvering and changes on a volatile leaderboard.
“The golf course was very difficult. It was a lot harder than yesterday,” said Cantlay, who was tied for the lead at 5 under after Thursday’s opening round. “I think the rest of the weekend is going to be tough. That’s exactly what you’d expect.”
