When Ludvig Åberg makes his first BMW PGA Championship appearance this week he will do so as one of 11 players in the field who have won their maiden DP World Tour title this season.
Just earlier this month, the Swede claimed his first professional title at the Omega European Masters, before receiving a Captain’s Pick for Luke Donald's European Ryder Cup side the following day.
As a result, the 23-year-old will become the first player in history to play at a Ryder Cup before appearing in a Major Championship.
Åberg became the third first-time winner on Tour in as many weeks with his victory in Switzerland at Crans-sur-Sierre since the summer break, following hot on the heels of English pair Todd Clements and Daniel Brown.
From a life-changing success in their debut year as a professional to another uplifting breakthrough success after years of toil, the ongoing campaign has delivered several significant storylines.
Ahead of the fourth and penultimate Rolex Series event of the year at Wentworth Club, we guide you through the players who have joined the DP World Tour winner's circle this season and are teeing it up in Surrey.
Ludvig Åberg
With four birdies in his final five holes to win the Omega European Masters, Åberg underlined his status as one of the rising stars of the game. The former World Number One amateur only turned professional in June, but a closing 64 at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club in Switzerland helped him earn his maiden DP World Tour title. His victory at the final qualifying event for the European Ryder Cup team earned him one of Luke Donald's six Captain's Picks a day later. Donald described Åberg as a "generational player", adding he was "blown away" by his performance when the pair played together in Detroit on the PGA TOUR earlier in the summer, just weeks into the Swede's fledgling professional career.
Todd Clements
A week earlier, Todd Clements made his breakthrough on the DP World Tour at the D+D REAL Czech Masters. In his rookie season, the Challenge Tour graduate produced brilliant bogey-free 63 - his lowest round in a European Tour group event - to hold off the challenge of 54-hole co-leader Matt Wallace and win by one shot at Albatross Golf Resort. Clements, who trailed by three shots heading into the final round, made three hat-tricks of birdies from the first, sixth and 11th to become the first Englishman to win the event in just his 30th Tour appearance. The 2017 English Amateur Champion said he took inspiration from seeing a good friend of his win a week earlier...
Daniel Brown
Following a three-week break in the schedule, Daniel Brown became the 13th player to earn his maiden win with a wire-to-wire victory at the ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by AVIV Clinics. The Englishman, who first played on the DP World Tour at the KLM Open in 2015, earned his Tour card for this season by coming through the Final Stage of Qualifying School last year. He impressively proceeded to make the cut in his first 13 starts of the campaign. In an impressive front-running performance, Brown withstood pressure from Alex Fitzpatrick early into the final round in Northern Ireland, before three birdies in his last five holes helped him secure a five-shot win over his countryman.
Vincent Norrman
Vincent Norrman, a former international amateur teammate of Åberg, became the first Swede to win this season at the Barbasol Championship, the first of two back-to-back events held in the United States on the schedule. He won a play-off to deny European Challenge Tour graduate Nathan Kimsey, who had earlier carded a flawless 64 to post the clubhouse target at 22 under, and claim his first PGA TOUR and DP World Tour victory. This marks Norrman's first Rolex Series start of his career.
The 25-year-old secured his second DP World Tour title in just his 14th appearance at the Horizon Irish Open after he carded a flawless closing seven-under 65 in a weather-affected final round to win at The K Club.
Daniel Hillier
As finishes to win your first DP World Tour title go, there can’t be many better in recent memory than how Daniel Hillier played his way to victory at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo. The New Zealander was not viewed as being in the picture on the front nine but finished his round with a flourish, going eagle-birdie-eagle from the 15th to post a six-under 66 and set the target at 10 under. With the final groups several holes behind him, Hillier had to wait around an hour before his victory was confirmed.
Dale Whitnell
Dale Whitnell completed his long journey to the DP World Tour winner’s circle at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed, 14 years after turning professional. A second-round 61 helped the former top-ranked English amateur open up a commanding six-shot lead at the halfway stage at Ullna Golf and Country Club. That advantage was reduced to four with one round to play and was cut to two with two to play on the final day as American Sean Crocker put the pressure on with a closing 65 in Sweden. But Whitnell eased any pressure with a birdie at the 17th before two fine shots up the last allowed him to enjoy his crowning moment.
Tom McKibbin
The Challenge Tour has long proven a great breeding ground for future DP World Tour winners and Tom McKibbin proved that in spades as he became the latest example with his maiden Tour title at the Porsche European Open. One of six players in a share of the 54-hole lead, the Northern Irishman held off the challenge of home hopes Maximilian Kieffer, Marcel Siem and France’s Julien Guerrier at Green Eagle Golf Courses in Germany. An exceptional approach into the par-five 18th set up a two-putt birdie that sealed a two-shot win to become the fifth player in the last six editions to make their breakthrough into the winner’s circle at the event.
Simon Forsström
After three top-ten finishes over the first five months of the campaign, Simon Forsström claimed the trophy at the Soudal Open in Belgium. The Swede produced three birdies in his final five holes to hold off the challenge of compatriot Jens Dantorp at Rinkven International Golf Club. He had spent seven consecutive seasons attempting to graduate from the Challenge Tour, but finally earned playing privileges on the DP World Tour for 2023 after winning the Final Stage of Qualifying School last year.
Nick Bachem
With victory at the Jonsson Workwear Open, a co-sanctioned tournament with the Sunshine Tour, Nick Bachem marked another milestone in his remarkable rise through the golfing ranks. In just over three years, the German has gone from being an amateur impressing on the Pro Golf Tour to a European Challenge Tour player, and from a Qualifying School graduate to a DP World Tour winner. In just his 12th start on Tour, he headed a crowded leaderboard for much of the final day at The Club at Steyn City before pulling clear to finish at 24 under par and win by four shots.
Matthew Baldwin
A week earlier, Matthew Baldwin cruised to seven-shot victory at the SDC Championship in South Africa on his 200th DP World Tour start. The Englishman carded a four-under 68 in the final round to finish well clear of second-placed Adri Arnaus of Spain. Victory at St Francis Links capped a remarkable story of perseverance for Baldwin. Having first graduated from the Challenge Tour in 2011, he impressed in his first three campaigns before losing his card in 2016 after a succession of injuries. He was back on Tour for the 2018 season after coming through the Qualifying School, before a 19th-placed finish on last season’s Challenge Tour Road to Mallorca Rankings earned him his seventh full season on the DP World Tour.
Ockie Strydom
Ockie Strydom produced a back-nine blitz to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship on home soil at Leopard Creek Country Club, becoming the second first-timer winner of the Tour campaign. After a course-record tying 63 in the third round, he held an overnight share of the lead before he took control with birdies at the tenth, 11th, 13th and 14th in the final round as he closed with a three-under 69 to win by two shots and earn a two-year exemption on the DP World Tour.
The South African claimed his second DP World Tour title in six starts a few months later at the Singapore Classic as he fired a closing nine-under 63 in the final round to win at Laguna National.
Dan Bradbury
In claiming his maiden professional victory at the Joburg Open on the opening weekend of the season, Dan Bradbury became the player with the lowest position on the Official World Golf Ranking to win a DP World Tour event. Ranked 1,397th in the world, Bradbury was competing in just his third start on Tour and was only in the field at Houghton GC because of a sponsor’s invite. Despite only turning professional earlier that summer, Bradbury belied his inexperience to register an incredible wire-to-wire victory that also earned him his first Major Championship start at The 151st Open Championship.
