Golf has a new rising star on its hands.
Fans typically see Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy atop the leaderboards, but a new young face is in the mix at the 2024 U.S. Open.
Ludvig Aberg, a 24-year-old Swedish golfer, has emerged as one of the games' best players. He's been a professional golfer for just about a year, but he's already played himself to a top national ranking.
He is continuing a strong 2024 campaign with a great showing at the U.S. Open in Pinehurst, North Carolina, where he's made a difficult course look relatively easy thus far.
Where did Aberg go to college? And how could the 24-year-old make a unique bit of history at the U.S. Open? The Sporting News answers those questions and more below.
LIVE: U.S. Open Round 3 updates, highlights results from Pinehurst
Where did Ludvig Aberg go to college?
Aberg graduated from Texas Tech University in 2023. He spent four years, from 2019-23, golfing for the Red Raiders, becoming the No. 1 player on the 2023 PGA Tour University rankings.
As a senior in 2023, he earned the Haskins Award, which is awarded to the top collegiate golfer in the United States. He turned professional in June 2023 after his senior year of college.
In just one year of professional golf, Aberg has become the No. 6 player in the world.
The 24-year-old is ranked just a few spots below Scheffler, Schauffele and McIlroy. His second place finish at the 2024 Masters helped him rise up the ladder, and an excellent placement at the U.S. Open could push him further up the list.
MORE: Has Ludvig Aberg won a major golf tournament?
How Ludvig Aberg, Patrick Mahomes could make history for Texas Tech
Aberg isn't the only star athlete to come out of Texas Tech. Patrick Mahomes of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs is arguably the most well-known Red Raider in the sporting world.
Mahomes played three seasons at Texas Tech before entering the 2017 NFL Draft. The Chiefs selected him No. 10 overall.
The 28-year-old quarterback has won three Super Bowls, including back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. He will aim to lead the Chiefs to the first ever Super Bowl three-peat in 2024.
Besides Mahomes' NFL history, he and Aberg can set another historic mark this weekend. If Aberg wins the 2024 U.S. Open, it would mark the first time a college has produced a U.S. Open and Super Bowl winner in the same year.
A college has never had a Super Bowl winning QB and a U.S. Open winner in the same year. Texas Tech would be the first if Ludvig Åberg wins this week.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) June 15, 2024
Mahomes won Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024, four months prior to the start of the U.S. Open. Now it's up to Aberg to make history for Texas Tech.
