Luke Donald, Europe’s Ryder Cup captain, has compared the “special” talent of Ludvig Åberg to that of an emerging Rory McIlroy after selecting the 23-year-old Swede as a wildcard for the meeting with the US team in Rome.
Åberg’s name stands out among Donald’s half-dozen choices – Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, Nicolai Højgaard and Justin Rose complete the list – given he turned professional in June. The former world No 1 amateur won the European Masters in Switzerland on Sunday, which sealed his spot in the mind of Donald.