Ludvig Aberg scores an eagle on the 11th hole, gaining a 3-shot advantage at the Players Championship.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Ludvig Aberg recorded his third eagle of the week and minimized errors on Saturday during The Players Championship, finishing with a 1-under 71 that secured the 26-year-old Swede a three-shot advantage heading into the final round at TPC Sawgrass.
Aberg had several opportunities to significantly impact the hopes of those pursuing him. He approached the green on the par-5 16th with a 7-iron from 193 yards in the fairway. He faced an 8-foot birdie putt on the island-green 17th and had a 25-foot chance for birdie on the final hole.
He completed those holes at 1 over par, recording two pars and a three-putt bogey at the end, serving as a reminder that the final 18 holes on this challenging Stadium Course can still feel distant.
Aberg expressed a desire for at least one birdie, noting, “that three-putt annoys me a little bit.”
“But I started with a two-shot lead and I ended with a three-shot lead, so that’s a positive,” he stated.
Aberg stands at 13-under 203 and will be paired with Michael Thorbjornsen in the final group. Thorbjornsen, who also resides in the area, is often at TPC Sawgrass when not competing on tour. The two are friends who frequently play together, having both been top players in college. They each held the No. 1 spot in the PGA Tour University ranking, which earned them PGA Tour cards.
Thorbjornsen made significant progress with a 67, placing him in the final group as he aims to become only the third player, and the first since Craig Perks in 2002, to win The Players in his debut.
“I don’t think I have to change too much, especially on courses like this,” Thorbjornsen remarked. “I believe that if you play consistently, you’ll encounter some birdies. I’m not sure if anyone has had a bogey-free round either yesterday or today, but there aren’t many. So I think slow and steady wins the race, and we’re just going to focus on playing solid golf.”
Cameron Young posed the most significant challenge to Aberg on the back nine, sinking a 45-foot birdie putt on the par-3 13th and managing a wedge shot that he hit slightly heavy on the par-3 17th, which landed within 2 feet, the closest shot of the day.
“I was trying to land it 133 and I fatted it just a little bit and it went to a foot,” he explained.
Entering the 18th hole two shots behind, the final hole proved difficult for Young. He pulled his drive just enough to find the water on the left side. His third shot went into the rough-covered mounds, and he chipped through the firm, fast green into a bunker. However, he made an 8-foot putt for double bogey, finishing with a 72, leaving him four shots back.
Significant mistakes affected many others.
Justin Thomas, returning strong in his second tournament after lower back surgery in November, faced challenges, including a triple bogey on the sixth hole after his ball went from the water to the rough and then over the green. Despite this, he managed to maintain composure, recording two birdies later and finishing with a 72.
Thomas is at 8-under 208, five shots behind, alongside Matt Fitzpatrick (69), Brian Harman (69), Viktor Hovland (69), Corey Conners (72), and Xander Schauffele (74). Schauffele, who was in the final group, managed only one birdie while hitting just eight greens.
Young is participating in The Players for the fourth time and has yet to break into the top 50, yet he remained optimistic even after a double bogey to conclude his round.
“I cost myself two off the tee and I saved myself one with the putter,” he reflected on the 8-footer he made. “So it could have been worse. I drew a terrible lie right of the green, a spot where you feel you should have a decent chance to get up-and-down. Saving myself with the putter is what I’m going to take away from it.”
His belief that he was still in contention highlighted the give-and-take nature of TPC Sawgrass, contrasting with Aberg’s highly efficient swing that allowed him to compete in a Ryder Cup just four months after graduating from college in 2023.
Aberg shot a 63 in the second round to take the lead. Thomas recorded a 62 last year. The best score on Saturday was a 65 by Robert MacIntyre.
“Those numbers are out there, and there’s no reason why I can’t be the one to shoot them,” Young stated.
Thus, the final group features two locals—one from Sweden via Texas Tech and the other from just outside Boston via Stanford. Neither plays the Stadium Course frequently, as it is seldom in the condition seen during The Players.
However, they are familiar with the layout, albeit not under such high stakes.
