Ludvig Åberg set his sights on Major Championship glory after ending a "dream" week at Augusta National Golf Club with a runner-up finish at the Masters Tournament.
The Swede was making his Major Championship debut in Georgia as part of a meteoric rise that already has him sitting at golf's top table.
He only turned professional last June but has already been part of a winning Ryder Cup team and won titles on the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR.
He drove up Magnolia Lane as World Number Nine and after an opening 73, produced possibly the round of the week on Friday, being the only player to break 70 in high winds.
He led at one point during his third-round 70 and again in his closing 69 but a double-bogey on the 11th coupled with the brilliance of Scottie Scheffler meant he would not become the first player to win on their Major debut at Augusta.
"Playing here at Augusta National is a dream come true," he said. "Just to be in this situation and feel the nerves and feel the pressure walking down the last couple of holes is what you dream of.
"This is what I have been wanting to do for such a long time and it's quite surreal to actually have the opportunity to experience it.
"But I'm so proud of me, myself and all of the people on my team and my family and everyone involved."
European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald has described Åberg as a "generational" talent, with many of his Ryder Cup team-mates also tipping him for the very top.
"Everyone in my position, they are going to want to be Major Champions," he said of his ambitions, admitting he is "flattered" by the praise.
"They are going to want to be World Number Ones and it's the same for me and that's nothing different.
"It's been that way ever since I picked up a golf club and that hasn't changed. So I think this week solidifies a lot of those things are there, and we just need to keep doing those things and put ourselves in positions to win tournaments.
"This being my first Major Championship, you never really know what it's going to be like until you're there and experience it.
"I think this week has given me a lot of experiences and a lot of lessons learned in terms of those things. It makes me really hungry and it makes me want to do it again and again.
edit ***** News that Scottie Scheffler has announced that golf will now be his 4th priority with wife Meredith expecting their first child any day now and with that the responsibilities of fatherhood arriving, is probably good news for the rest of the tour, such has been his recent dominance.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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