Ludvig Aberg ‘itching’ to defend RSM title after knee surgery

The RSM Classic is where Ludvig Aberg broke through for his first PGA Tour title last year, the apex of his fast rise to stardom.

Aberg doesn't need to play this week to maintain his tour eligibility, but after taking most of the fall off to have knee surgery, the Swede is eager to defend his title this week in Sea Island, Ga.

"I've had some time off, it's been quite nice," Aberg told reporters Tuesday. "I had surgery on my knee, so I had about four weeks off from golf. The first two weeks I did not miss it at all, I'm not gonna lie, but last couple of weeks it's been itching in my fingers quite a bit. So it's been nice to get back into practicing, playing a lot more at home."

"Home" for the 25-year-old Aberg and his girlfriend is now a house in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., near TPC Sawgrass. It's less than a two-hour drive north to get to Sea Island, where many other professional golfers make their homes.

Less than 18 months ago, Aberg had just finished a successful collegiate career at Texas Tech and received a tour card through the PGA Tour University pathway. He won on the DP World Tour last September, made the European Ryder Cup team and then finished his year by capturing the RSM Classic.

Aberg shot back-to-back rounds of 9-under 61 on Sea Island's Seaside Course on the weekend to pull away for a four-shot victory.

"Obviously I've always liked coming to Sea Island. ... It's a place that I really like coming to and the golf has been great to me so far, so looking forward to keeping that up," Aberg said.

Aberg hasn't won a tournament since, but the highlights of his 2024 season included a second-place finish at the Masters and a T2 at the BMW Championship, the penultimate leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

But during the spring, his