Sweet-swinging Swede Ludvig Aberg figures to be among contenders at U.S. Open at Oakmont

In the days leading up to the 2021 U.S. Amateur, Niclas Fasth got a call from a fellow Swedish golfer who was looking for tips on how to play Oakmont Country Club.

Fasth knew the secrets perhaps better than anyone from his homeland. In 2007, Fasth finished fourth at the U.S. Open at Oakmont. He shot 7-over-par for the tournament, finishing just two strokes behind winner Angel Cabrera.

Fasth was remarkably consistent, shooting 71s in the first two rounds and a 70 in the fourth round. Only a 75 in the third round cost him a shot at the title.

So Fasth was more than qualified to offer advice to the young man on the other end of the phone. That was Ludvig Aberg, just 21 years old at the time and one of the world’s top up-and-coming players.

Besides sharing a homeland, Fasth had worked with a young Aberg as one of the coaches for Sweden’s men’s golf program. The veteran saw all the tools: great ball-striking ability, length off the tee and an even temperament.

Aberg shot 77 in his opening round of stroke play at the 2021 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont. He bounced back with a 71 the second day, but it wasn’t enough to carry him into the match play rounds.

When Aberg returns to Oakmont for the 125th U.S. Open on June 12-15, he will have been a professional for only two years but already established as one of the world’s top players. He is ranked sixth, owns two PGA Tour wins and a DP (European) World Tour win.

In his major championship debut at the 2024 Masters, he finished runner-up.

Peter Hanson, a veteran of 28 major championships who peaked at No. 17 in the world in 2012, has served as a coach and mentor for Aberg for nearly three years. Hanson marvels at the young man’s game.

“He’s one of the best off the tee. When he’s playing well, he has the distance and the accuracy,” Hanson told TribLive. “If (the U.S. Open) is set up with the thick rough that we normally see and you can take advantage of the tee shots and put yourself in a better position than 90% of the field, that can have a massive impact.”

Added Fasth: “I know for a fact how he works with his team, and he is given a lot of freedom to just do his thing, and that works really, really well for him, needless to say. There’s really no stopping him if he’s on form ball-striking wise.”

Swedish players have a strong recent history at the U.S. Open. Since 2000, a dozen Swedes have combined for 26 top-25 finishes, including Aberg’s tie for 12th last year at Pinehurst No. 2 in his event debut. Fasth shares the mark for best finish among Swedes at a U.S. Open, with Robert Karlsson finishing tied for fourth in 2008 and Henrik Stenson tying for fourth in ’14.

Aberg, though, has a chance to be the best of the lot, playing with a savvy and calm that belie his limited professional experience.

“There are few courses where I wouldn’t see him as a contender,” Fasth said.

That includes Oakmont, and having played there once, Fasth and Hanson agreed, could help. Conditions, naturally, will be different, but Aberg has at least some familiarity with how the course will play.

As in any major championship, putting will be crucial. That is especially true at Oakmont, with its sloping, speedy greens.

Fasth said Aberg’s putting “is not one of his strengths yet.” Hanson agreed, citing Aberg’s need to be more consistent. But any deficiency in Aberg’s putting, Hanson added, most likely is the result of him being relatively new to the pro game, learning different courses, playing on different grass, etc.

Then again, Aberg has shown he can deliver on tough greens in big moments.

“Looking at his first major last year at Augusta, what I was impressed with was how well he handled fast greens,” Hanson said. “… He proved that he can putt on fast, tricky greens.

“I would probably share Niclas’ point (about Aberg’s putting), but then Ludvig proved me wrong as he has so many times.”

So if Fasth gets a phone call from Aberg about how to play a U.S. Open at Oakmont, what advice would he give? It’s advice everyone in the field could heed.

“Have a good plan, be really, really strong and patient and have the strength to grind it out,” he said. “Even advice such as, ‘make sure you sleep well during that week,’ will matter. It takes so much out of you.

“When you’re out there in the middle of it, you just keep going, but it drains you. That may very well make a difference come the weekend.”