Åberg holds off Hughes charge for PGA first

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA. Ludvig Åberg closed with a second straight 9-under-par 61 to win the RSM Classic, capping a stellar second half of the year with his first PGA Tour title to go with a European tour victory and successful debut in the Ryder Cup. To think the 24-year-old Swede was still attending Texas Tech six months ago. “Beyond my dreams,” Åberg said after Sunday’s win. “It’s been six months I’ll never forget.” He tied the tour’s 72-hole scoring record of 253, set by Justin Thomas at the 2017 Sony Open. And backto-back 61s broke the 36-hole finishing mark shared by Matt Jones (Kapalua, 2022) and Patrick Rodgers (Sea Island, 2019). “I think the sky’s the limit (for Åberg),” said Canadian Mackenzie Hughes, who put up a fight with a 63 but finished second, four strokes back at 25 under. “He’s got the whole package. Got a good demeanour, doesn’t get too up or down. I’m sure we’re going to see a lot of him for the next few years.” Hughes, who climbed the leaderboard with a 60 on Saturday, won the RSM Classic in 2016, his first PGA Tour title. Fellow Canadian Adam Svensson finish tied for fifth at 19 under after a 62 on Sunday. Ryan Moore closed with a 65 to tie for eighth, easily enough to finish in the top 125 in the FedEx Cup and keep his full card for 2024. He said the nerves were “close to what I felt trying to win a golf tournament coming down the stretch.”