Rolex Series

Scandinavian superstars raring to go in England

Ludvig Åberg and Viktor Hovland will be looking to carry momentum into this week's BMW PGA Championship after enjoying some of the most momentous days of their young careers in recent times.

Ludvig Åberg

Swede Åberg only turned professional in June but won his first DP World Tour title earlier this month in Switzerland, less than 24 hours before being handed a place in the Ryder Cup team by European captain Luke Donald.

Norway's Hovland, meanwhile, is looking for a third consecutive worldwide victory after back-to-back wins at the PGA TOUR's BMW Championship and Tour Championship saw him lift the FedEx Cup.

If Aberg were also to make it consecutive wins, he would have a first Rolex Series victory on his CV and the 23-year-old is relishing making his debut at Wentworth Club.

"I can't wait," he said. "It's one of those big events on the DP World Tour that I've watched for a very long time and I was playing the course for the first time yesterday and I felt like I've been here before, but just from watching it on TV and that kind of stuff. It's really cool and I'm looking forward to a nice couple of days.

"For me, it's been quite a lot of the last couple of weeks, couple of months, so being in that kind of spotlight has been fun but it's been a little bit different for me, too. We don't get that much attention in college like we do here.

Viktor Hovland

"So naturally it's going to take a little bit of time for me to get used to it I think. But I try to embrace it. I try to have fun with it. Once I get on the golf course, it's still golf and that's what I've been doing for such a long time. It's what I feel the most comfortable with doing."

Hovland is very much used to the attention, having already got a Rolex Series win and a Ryder Cup appearance under his belt, and after finishing fifth last season, the World Number Four is eager to lift the trophy at DP World Tour HQ.

"It's been kind of a crazy month for me," he said. "I had two nice weeks off back in Oklahoma before coming here. Got some rest and getting ready for this week. 

"This is a big week for the DP World Tour and I've always loved coming here. Had a good week here last year and hopefully can improve on that a little bit and obviously The Ryder Cup in a couple of weeks, so lots to play for and looking forward to it."

Åberg may be playing this event for the first time but he will have plenty of experience to draw upon from mentor Peter Hanson, who played in 15 editions over a career that brought him six DP World Tour wins and two Ryder Cup appearances.

And following this week, Åberg, Hanson and caddie Jack Clarke will head to Finca Cortesin to watch Clarke's fiancée Madelene Sagstrom and the rest of Team Europe try to defend the Solheim Cup.

"So me and Peter, I guess we've known each other for the last couple of years, but I would say for the last year and a half probably we've gotten to work together more," he said. 

"He's more of a mentor to me just because he has so much experience on the biggest stages in golf. It would be foolish for me to not take advantage of that.

"Plus, I really love the way he resonates about a lot of stuff. He's very sound. He's very healthy, I think. So I try to be around him as much as possible and learn and listen to him and kind of do what he did."

He added: "We're going to Spain next week. We're going to be there a few days and root for the Europeans and then try to do some practice as well."

Ludvig Åberg and Peter Hanson

Once the Solheim Cup is over, attention will turn to the men, with Åberg and Hovland part of a strong Scandinavian contingent on a Ryder Cup team that also contains Nicolai Højgaard and another Dane in vice captain Thomas Bjørn - something Hovland believes will be beneficial.

"It's interesting, I can read Danish pretty easily but understanding Danish is very tough just because of how they pronounce it," he said. 

"Swedish is very tough for me to read but when we speak with each other it's very easy. I'm very familiar with the language. 

"So I think that makes it a little bit more familiar as well when you're on a team and you're at such a big stage and - everything is for me in a foreign language, even though it's English - it's nice to have someone that you can speak the same language there and kind of know where they come from. 

"Even though they are from a different culture, like Ludvig and Nicolai, we have a very similar culture. So it just makes it a little bit more comfortable on that big stage."

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