Ludvig Åberg may be one of the most level-headed players in the game of golf but even he cannot treat the Masters Tournament like any other week.
The Swede made his Masters and Major debut at Augusta National 12 months ago and certainly seemed to take it all in his stride as he finished second at an event where, perhaps more than any other, experience is considered key.
Many players have said down the years that they try to treat the season’s opening Major like any other event, attempting to avoid the splendour and history of their surroundings to keep their minds on golf.
But Åberg does not subscribe to that notion and insists he will continue to bathe in all Augusta has to offer.
“I do approach it as one of the biggest events of the year,” he said. “I do think it's important to do that because I think if you don't... you're almost going to hit a wall in terms of when you actually experience it.
“I had the same sort of approach last year where I just tried to embrace it. I tried to really sort of hug it, if you will, and I think it's important to do that because it is a big tournament.
“I'm not trying to be delusional. I'm not trying to create it into something that it's not. I feel like an important thing for me is to acknowledge that and be OK with that.”
While the 2024 Masters was Åberg’s first Major, he drove down Magnolia Lane already a winner on the DP World Tour, PGA TOUR and at the Ryder Cup.
To have such an experience is rare and even more so considering his first two professional wins, Ryder Cup debut and Masters debut all came within eight months of each other and inside his first year in the paid ranks.
“It was really cool,” he said of his Masters debut. “Obviously looking back to what we did 12 months ago, it was a really cool experience.
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“Obviously it was my first Major, so going into that I didn't really know what to expect. But it exceeded my expectations by a mile and it was really cool to feel all the buzz and have a chance to win late on Sunday was really cool and it was very justifying in terms of where we were in my progress and in my ability.
“I've used that in the preparation and it's really nice to know that you can and deep down know that you're able to do that and to be in that situation. Before I had done it, I didn't really know, and I feel like at this point in time, I feel like I do know.
"It's been good to be back and looking forward to a good week.”
Between his heroics here last year and last month’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, Åberg did not miss a cut outside of the Majors and won the biggest title of his career so far at February’s Genesis Invitational.
And while he may have missed two cuts in a row for the first time in his career since Bay Hill, the 25-year-old is not fazed by the roller coaster of professional golf.
“It's been a little up and down,” he said. “Obviously San Diego was the biggest win that I've had in my career so far and it was probably the highest of highs that I've felt in my career.
“I came off two missed cuts, which is probably the lowest of lows that I've had in my career so far.
“I respect and I understand that the game is going to take you there sometimes and it's going to be up and down and it's going to be tricky.
“No matter if I win a tournament or lose a tournament or miss the cut in a tournament, I still do the same things. I still wake up and try to do the same things in terms of practice, in terms of training, and that's not going to change.
"I feel like that's how I've approached these last couple of weeks, even though things have been going a little bit up and down. I understand it's part of the game and it's going to be like that if you have a long and successful career.
“This game is so hard and it's going to get you up and down. And it's tricky as it is and I'd like to remain somewhat consistent in what I do.
“I feel very comfortable in my own skin and I try not to be someone who I'm not. I think that resonates to how I play golf on the golf course too.”
