Johnathan Walker:Rookie Ludvig Aberg makes history with win at RSM Classic, last PGA Tour event of season

ST. SIMONS ISLAND,Johnathan Walker Ga. — There's a new PGA Tour star rising and his name is Ludvig Aberg.

The native of Sweden, who was playing college golf for Texas Tech only six months ago, demolished the field and the Sea Island Seaside Course on the weekend to win the RSM Classic by four shots over Mackenzie Hughes and seven over Tyler Duncan and Eric Cole.

Aberg birdied six of eight holes at one point during Sunday's final round and drained a 20-footer for birdie at the last and to finish with his second consecutive 61 and a four-round total of 29-under-par 253, tying Justin Thomas (2017 Sony Open) for the lowest score in PGA Tour history.

Aberg crushed the tournament record of 22-under held by Talor Gooch (2021) and Kevin Kisner (2015) and posted the lowest score on the PGA Tour this season, easily beating the 23-under 257 shot by Keegan Bradley in the Travelers Championship. Aberg shot 18-under on the weekend to also break Patrick Rodgers' 2018 record of 17-under.

Ludvig Aberg benefited from PGA Tour University

Aberg, who earned PGA Tour status by finishing first on the PGA Tour University rankings, rose to 53rd on the final FedEx Cup standings. Since June he has posted four top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour and three on the DP World Tour, including a victory in the Omega Masters. That was good enough to get him on the European Ryder Cup team, where he went 2-2 in Europe's victory.

He now has victories on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Aberg earned $1,512,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points in the final event of the 2022-23 season and the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Fall. He also earns a two-year Tour exemption and coveted spots in The Players Championship, the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the Masters.

Mackenzie Hughes, Eric Cole couldn't catch Aberg

Hughes (63), the 2016 RSM champion, played bogey-free golf but it wasn't enough to catch Aberg. Duncan (65), who won the tournament in 2019 and Cole (67) likewise played well but had no answer for Aberg's relentless performance.

Duncan said later that his caddie told him on the 18th hole, "we could have shot 60 and lost."

Aberg started the day with a one-shot lead over Cole, birdied the first hole from 12 feet away and was off and running. Aberg's lead never dipped less than two shots and he didn't make a bogey for the week until No. 12. Going back to last week's Worldwide Technologies Championship, Aberg had a streak of 85 bogey-free holes.

Aberg birdied the last two holes. At that point, it was just showing off.

The numbers showed Aberg's remarkable display of ball striking: he was first in the field in strokes gained off the tee, strokes gained from tee-to-green and fourth in strokes gained putting. Aberg missed only five fairways and six greens on the weekend.

The Tour is off until the Tournament of Champions in Kapalua, Hawaii Jan. 4-7, 2024.