Ludvig Aberg shoots 74 at Masters round after 2 double-bogeys

AUGUSTA, Ga. — There was a spring in Ludvig Aberg's step striding to the ninth tee of the Augusta National Golf Club on April 9 in the first round of the Masters Tournament.

After all, he birdied the rugged par-3 fourth (26-foot putt) and the sixth hole (13-footer), holes that yielded only 18 total birdies in the first round. He had missed an 18-foot birdie attempt at No. 7 and settled for a par at the par-5 eighth after driving into the left trees. None of it was daunting him.

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"Absolutely," Aberg said, when asked if he felt like he stole a couple of shots to the field on the first nine par 3s, combined with his birdie at No. 2.

Aberg then ran into some continuing education at the Masters in his ninth career round at Augusta: There are certain places you don't miss. One is long and right on the ninth green. Another is long and left on the 13th green.

"I left myself in tricky spots," he admitted.

Ludvig Aberg plays a shot from a bunker on the second hole during the first round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Double bogeys at both holes ensued and, with bogeys at Nos. 10 and 11, he was 3 over with five holes to play, losing six shots in a five-hole span.

To Aberg’s credit, he didn't make it worse. He hit a sparkling pitching wedge into No. 14 to give himself a tap-in birdie and he parred out from there for a 2-over 74, seven shots off the lead shared by Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns.

Ludvig Aberg was encouraged by his finish

Aberg hit his last four fairways and his last five greens in regulation, missing birdie attempts of 18 feet at No. 15, 12 feet at No. 16 (the ball circled more than half of the hole before spinning out), 19 feet at No. 17 and 30 feet at the last.

But he never stressed over a par attempt and gave himself a pat on the back for not turning his last double bogey into more trouble.

"I'm pleased with what I saw," said Aberg, who was in the thick of things on the second nine in last year's final round until a triple bogey at the 18th hole. "Especially on a day like today when it's so firm and the greens have that kick to them."

Ludvig Aberg misjudged shots at Nos. 9 and 13

So what happened on his two double bogeys?

Aberg punched out of the trees at No. 9 and the ball had some steam on it, rolling over the green. With a middle-left hole placement, he putted off the fringe but hit it too strong. The ball rolled 34 feet away from the hole and he three-putted from there.

He was in the fairway at No. 13 and then blasted his second shot over the green. Aberg debated putting from there but chipped and again had too much mustard on it, with the ball rolling off the other side and into the water.

Aberg had to drop on the other side of Rae's Creek, pitched to 12 feet and missed.

"At [No.] 9, the last thing you want to do it leave it up there [behind the hole]. So I hit it a little bit too firm, kind of hit the downslope and three-putted from there. [At No.] 13 I was in between whether I was going to chip or putt. I was kind of on the side slope ... missed my landing spot by just a little bit and it skidded through the fringe. I shouldn't be in those situations where I have those shots in front of me."

However, he didn't get defensive after that, turning in five solid holes to minimize the damage.

"Augusta is a place where even if you are a couple behind, you can't really play it any different, especially on a day like today when it's so firm and the greens have that kick to them," he said.

Aberg won on the PGA Tour (RSM Classic) and DP World Tour (Omega European Masters) as a rookie in 2023. He added the Genesis Invitational last year but has squandered a couple of recent chances. He had a three-shot lead entering the final round of The Players Championship and shot 76, and was in the mix last week at the Valero Texas Open before tying for fifth.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Ludvig Aberg two double-bogeys Masters first round, shoots 74