Ludvig Åberg contending at The Masters, eyeing 45-year rookie history

Ludvig Åberg continues to impress at The Masters Tournament as he posted his third straight under-par round.

Åberg is trying to become the first rookie since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 to win in his first Masters appearance and the first player to win at Augusta National in their major debut.

The 24-year-old fired a 2-under 70 Saturday to reach 4-under for the tournament to sit in solo fourth place. He is three shots behind the 54-hole leader, Scottie Scheffler.

Åberg started strong as he birdied two of his first five holes. He added another birdie on the par-4 9th to turn in 33 strokes.

The Swede made multiple par saves and one more birdie at the par-5 13th to get as low as 6-under.

However, back-to-back bogeys at 14 and 15 pushed him back to 4-under. He did not let those two dropped shots affect him though as Åberg closed his round with three straight pars.

Åberg may be a Masters rookie, but he understands that conservative play in this weather can be the best way to approach Augusta National.

“I think what me and Joe have been doing — we’re both very disciplined,” Åberg said. “We’re not trying to force anything. We’re not trying to go for pins, and we’re not trying to make decisions that will cost us, I guess. We’re trying to take calculated risks all the time. I feel like we’ve been very disciplined toward our targets, and hopefully, we’ll be able to do that again tomorrow.”

The former Texas Tech Red Raider isn’t abstaining from enjoying his first career major championship.

“I’m a competitor and want to win tournaments,” he said. “I feel very fortunate to be in this position and to be here playing golf. I don’t think you should shy away from it. I don’t think you should try to push it away. I try to embrace it and be okay with all that comes with it.”

After being the only player to break 70 Friday, he credited his caddie, Joe Skovron, for much of his performance.

The two are clearly on the same page.

“Keep an eye on the leaderboard and see where we’re at,” he said. “You can’t play Augusta in a different way even though you have to. You’re never trying to force anything. You’re trying to put yourself in the right positions and try to make the putts. I think that’s what we’re going to try to do tomorrow, even if we’re tied for the lead or two back or four back.”

Åberg and Max Homa will be paired together for the final round at Augusta National as they both look to earn their first Green Jacket.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.