Ludvig Åberg's Triumphant Comeback at Torrey Pines

Torrey Pines was the scene of a thrilling comeback. Ludvig Åberg, the 25-year-old Swede, had a rough start at the Genesis Invitational, but he turned things around in a big way. Three weeks earlier, he had a lead, but a stomach issue forced him to finish poorly. This time, he was down by three shots with only a few holes left. But Åberg didn't let that stop him. He hit three amazing shots for birdies and finished with a 7-foot putt on the 18th hole. This put him at 6-under for the day and won him the tournament by one shot over Maverick McNealy. Åberg's victory was even sweeter because the tournament had to move from Riviera to Torrey Pines due to wildfires in Los Angeles. Åberg loves playing at Torrey Pines, and this win felt like redemption for him. Åberg's victory was his second on the PGA Tour and his third worldwide. He's now ranked number 4 in the world. Tiger Woods, the tournament host, presented him with the trophy. Woods had withdrawn from the tournament earlier in the week due to the passing of his mother, Kultida. Players wore red buttons with the Thai symbol of love in her honor. McNealy, who won his first PGA Tour event three months ago, had a strong start. He opened with eight birdies in 11 holes and stretched his lead to three. But things got tough on the 17th hole when his drive hit a pole and landed in rough terrain. He couldn't convert a birdie on the 18th, but still shot a 64. Åberg, however, was on the course and ready to take the lead.

Åberg's comeback started on the 12th hole with a 6-foot par putt. He then two-putted from 50 feet for birdie on the 13th, hit a daunting back pin on the 14th to 5 feet for birdie, and rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the 15th to tie for the lead. On the par-5 18th, Åberg hit a 7-wood from the fairway, rolling it to just under 7 feet and calmly sinking the putt. He finished at 12-under 276, winning $4 million. Åberg turned pro in June 2023 as the top-ranked college player out of Texas Tech. Scottie Scheffler had a rough Saturday with a 76, his highest score in nearly three years. But he made a comeback on Sunday, shooting a 66 and tying for third with Patrick Rodgers, who shot a 71. Scheffler started strong with five birdies, including a chip-in on the fifth hole, and got to within one shot. But he made two mistakes. He bogeyed the 11th hole after a chip from the rough and failed to save par from a bunker on the 16th. He closed with a 66 and finished alone in third. Rory McIlroy struggled with his putting and finished with a 72. Rodgers and Denny McCarthy also had their turns in the lead during the final round, but the tough back nine caught up with them. Rodgers fell back with bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes and never caught up. McCarthy had the lead when he made eagle on the par-5 sixth and didn’t make another birdie until the final hole for a 71 to tie for fifth.

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