Ludvig Åberg did everything he needed to do to win the Genesis Invitational, cementing himself as one of the best in the game.
LA JOLLA, Calif. — There is something eerie about the spot where Ludvig Åberg made his birdie putt from that won him the 2025 Genesis Invitational. It’s a familiar place to golf fans everywhere, to those old enough to remember the 2008 U.S. Open.
Åberg does not remember that monumental major as he was only eight years old then. But he has seen videos of it. He knows what transpired.
The most indelible moment of Tiger Woods’ illustrious career happened there. Woods made a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th green, forcing a playoff with Rocco Mediate the next day. Woods then went on to win his 14th major title.
Woods had to make that putt, just as Åberg — although from seven feet — needed to make his to earn the biggest victory of his career on Sunday. The Swede did just that, as his birdie-make on the 72nd hole capped off a thrilling 6-under 66 that gave him a one-shot win over Maverick McNealy.
But Åberg’s win also cements him as a PGA Tour superstar. Not just a star — but a player who can win on any golf course against anyone at any time. He has been talked about as a prodigy for years, but he’s no longer on the rise. He has arrived. His play down the stretch on Sunday proved that.
Åberg came home with a 4-under 32, the lowest back nine score carded by any player on Sunday. He made a terrific par save on the 12th hole, draining a six-footer he had to have. He said if he had missed that putt, he probably would not go on to win.
The Swede then rattled off three straight birdies on 13, 14, and 15, vaulting himself to 11-under for the championship and into a tie with McNealy atop the leaderboard.
“I definitely saw what [McNealy] was doing; I looked at all the leaderboards that I could. Obviously, I think he got to 12 [under] pretty early, and I was stuck at seven-, eight-under, something like that,” Åberg said of his mindset on the back nine.
“All I tried to do once I saw that he posted 11 [under] was just to get to 12, really.”
Åberg got to 12-under, thanks to his par-breaker on the closing hole that won him the tournament. He knew he would receive the trophy if he got there, and he delivered, doing what the best players do under pressure.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
