Ludvig Åberg can add another impressive notch to his rapidly extending belt.
Though the 24-year-old Swede had to settle for a runner-up finish after the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was called after 54 holes, Åberg still did something that only Tiger Woods had done before him: He became only the second player to reach No. 11 in the Official World Golf Ranking before making his 19th career professional start.
Thanks to OWGR guru Nosferatu’s research, we know that Woods achieved the feat after 17 pro starts, one start better than Åberg, who turned pro last June and already has two wins to his credit, one on the DP World Tour and another at last fall’s RSM Classic. Åberg began his pro career at No. 914 in the world. He since has logged 13 top-25s in those 18 appearances while missing just one cut.
🚨Fastest players to reach #11 in the world after turning pro, since the inception of #OWGR:
— Nosferatu (@VC606) February 5, 2024
1. Tiger Woods - after 17 events
2. Ludvig Aberg - after 18 events
3. Collin Morikawa - after 28 events https://t.co/sSakQnqCXx
The next closest player, per Nosferatu, is Collin Morikawa, who did so after 28 pro events. But Jon Rahm did it faster than Morikawa, jumping from No. 12 to No. 9 after his 21st career pro start.
And speaking of Woods, he won the 1997 Masters in his 17th start, rising to No. 3 in the world.