Scottish Open: Ludvig Åberg leads, loads of purpose to smile

Ludvig Åberg has loads of purpose to smile on the Genesis Scottish Open.

For the second consecutive day, the younger Swede signed for a 6-under 64 and has a one-shot lead over Frenchman Antoine Rozner at 12-under-par. Åberg didn’t make a single bogey on Friday, as a substitute holing six birdies to grab management of the championship on the halfway level.

‘It’s been very good. I felt like we had an excellent recreation plan and executing the photographs. We attempt to not drive something,” Åberg mentioned after his spherical.

“We attempt to have plenty of acceptance once we play and be sure that we put good swings on it and provides ourselves loads of probabilities, which I felt like we’ve accomplished very nicely.”

Despite being solely 24 years outdated, Åberg already appears like a seasoned PGA Tour veteran. He performs like one, too, and has the mentality of a multi-major champion.

Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA Tour by way of Getty Images

“No one goes to play excellent golf for 72 holes,” Åberg added.

‘I feel [a bad break or lousy shot is] going to occur to everybody sooner or later, and each time that occurs, you’ve simply acquired to attempt to cope with it the very best you may, and all I can do is attempt to put good swings on it, after which hopefully the choice that we’ve made is the proper one and attempt to hit it once more once we discover it.”

Åberg would possible have a extra appreciable benefit if not for a horrible break he suffered halfway by means of Thursday’s first spherical. On the par-4 eighth gap, Åberg struck what regarded like a terrific method shot into the inexperienced. But his ball ricocheted off Collin Morikawa’s ball, which sat 11 toes from the outlet. Åberg’s ball bounced useless proper, settling beneath the inexperienced, whereas Morikawa’s shot useless left.

Under the rules of golf, Morikawa may change his ball, whereas Åberg couldn’t. Instead of getting a makeable birdie putt, Åberg confronted a difficult third shot and couldn’t save par. Thus, he made a bogey in what was one of many worst breaks of the season. Morikawa, in the meantime, drained his birdie try.

But that’s one instance of how Åberg has discovered to ‘settle for’ throughout a event. Lousy breaks occur to each golfer on any course.

“Once these issues occur, I can’t do something about it,” Åberg mentioned Thursday.

“All I attempt to do is simply make good swings, and I did.”

He made loads of good swings on Friday, which explains why he raced previous the opposite contenders to steal the lead. So, no surprise Åberg was grinning from ear to ear all day.

And but, he has been on this place earlier than. Åberg held the 36-hole lead ultimately month’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, however a triple bogey on the thirteenth gap ended his probabilities on Saturday. Avoiding a mistake like that on the Genesis Scottish Open will probably be crucial if he needs to nab the most important PGA Tour win of his profession so far. But if he retains swinging like he does, retains smiling like he does, and retains that very same perspective, all indicators level to him doing so.

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be certain to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.