Shane Lowry has tipped Ludvig Aberg to become world number one following the Swede's stellar display in the Masters.
Aberg only turned professional in June last year, but quickly won on the DP World Tour, helped Europe regain the Ryder Cup in Rome – including a 9&7 win with Viktor Hovland over Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka – and also tasted victory on the PGA Tour before the end of the season.
Such performances earned the 24-year-old a major championship debut at Augusta National and he pushed Scheffler all the way in Sunday’s final round before the world number one pulled away to claim a second green jacket.
"I think he’s a future world number one," former Open champion Lowry said of Ryder Cup team-mate Aberg.
"I don’t need to say any more about him. He’s got a really, really, really bright future ahead of him. He’s already done a few great things in the game, and I’m sure he’ll do many more."
Offaly man Lowry, who finished in a tie for 46th at Augusta, is far from alone in recognising Aberg’s potential, with Rory McIlroy hugely impressed by what he saw on a European team scouting trip to Rome ahead of last year’s Ryder Cup.
"I was on the bandwagon before and I’m certainly at the front of it now," McIlroy said.
Speaking after his final round of 69 at Augusta National, Aberg said: "It’s very flattering. It’s very nice of them to say those things.
"But I think it just tells me that we are doing some good things, me and my team, and we’re probably not going to change a whole lot. But obviously hearing those things from Rory and those guys is very, very encouraging.
"This being my first major championship, you never really know what it’s going to be like until you’re there and experience it.
"I think this week has given me a lot of experiences and a lot of lessons learned in terms of those things. It makes me really hungry, and it makes me want to do it again and again.
"I think everyone in my position, they are going to want to be major champions. They are going to want to be world number one and it’s the same for me. It’s been that way ever since I picked up a golf club, and that hasn’t changed.
"So I think this week solidifies a lot of those things are there, and we just need to keep doing those things and put ourselves in positions to win tournaments, I think."
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