Ludvig Aberg is one of the top contenders for the Open Championship this week.
This will be his first time at Royal Troon, and he’s already a Ryder Cup champion with wins on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. At just 24 years old, Aberg has made waves in major tournaments, finishing second at The Masters during his debut there.
Last month, he placed T12 at the US Open . His lack of experience doesn’t seem to be a problem as he aims for the Claret Jug. Historically, ten players have won The Open on their first try; four of those victories happened after World War II.
In 2021, Collin Morikawa won The Open at Royal St George’s on his debut. Interestingly enough, Ben Curtis also claimed victory there in 2003 during his first attempt. Fans might find it exciting to see if Aberg can join this elite group.
Curtis was ranked World No. 396 when he capitalized on Thomas Bjorn’s collapse to secure a shocking win. Before him, Tom Watson clinched his first Open Championship title in 1975 after an intense playoff against Jack Newton.
Watson went on to win five times overall but wasn’t expected to conquer Carnoustie so soon. Tony Lema had never played links golf or visited Great Britain before winning the 1964 Open at St Andrews with just nine practice holes under his belt! He still managed a five-shot victory over Jack Nicklaus.
Ben Hogan also succeeded in capturing The Open during his debut in 1953 at Carnoustie.
Players to Win The Open On Debut:
Swipe through history: Willie Park Snr (1860), Tom Kidd (1873), Mungo Park (1874), Jock Hutchison (1921), Denny Shute (1933), Ben Hogan (1953), Tony Lema (1964), Tom Watson (1975), Ben Curtis (2003), Collin Morikawa (2021).
Willie Park Snr’s win might seem obvious since it was the very first tournament back in 1860! But even then, only two more players managed debut wins over the next six decades until Hutchison and Shute did it between World Wars I and II.
What do you think about these incredible achievements?
