Ludvig Aberg continued to justify his billing as golf’s next superstar as he outscored two of the world’s best players to make an impressive start to the BMW PGA Championship.

A day after Rory McIlroy declared himself firmly on board the Aberg “bandwagon”, Aberg partnered the world number two and FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland at Wentworth and outscored them both.

The 23-year-old Swede, who only turned professional in June but was given a Ryder Cup wild card hours after winning the final qualifying event, carded a four-under-par 68 despite a double bogey on the 17th, while Hovland returned a 69 and McIlroy struggled to a level-par 72.

Aberg made five consecutive birdies from the 11th and also birdied the last after running up a seven on the 17th, where he pulled his drive out of bounds.

“The 17th was a little bit stupid but other than that I felt like I hit the ball great and gave myself a few chances, especially on the back nine where it’s a little bit more scoreable,” Aberg said.

“Overall, I’m really happy with the way I played. I was very nervous this morning, it would have been weird if I wasn’t, and there were a lot more people following me round than usual.

“But playing with Rory and Viktor was a lot of fun. To be walking down the fairway with them and having conversations has been pretty cool. I am proud of the way I handled that, playing good golf with so much going on and I am trying to keep that up.”

Hovland was full of praise for his Ryder Cup team-mate, echoing Justin Rose’s description of the former world number one amateur as a “stud”.

“The way he’s played the last couple of months, he has not been a pro very long but he certainly doesn’t look scared of the moment,” the world number four said.

“I think this week is a great experience for him but I think he’s ready regardless.

“He’s a stud. When you have the tools, it is easy to trust it. He’s obviously very mature and you just step up and do it. He’s super talented and he is going to be around a long time. He’s going to do great things.”

Denmark’s Marcus Helligkilde held the clubhouse lead on eight under par after carding 10 birdies and two bogeys in a 64, with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Scotland’s Richie Ramsay sharing second on six under.

Fitzpatrick, who announced his engagement to girlfriend Katherine Gaal last week, said: “It’s a great start to the week. I feel like I just played really solid overall and did everything well.

“It’s nice to play well in front of the home crowd, I’m focused on playing well this week and I know that when Sunday night comes I can look towards the Ryder Cup and work on what I need to do to get ready for that.”

Former winner Tyrrell Hatton carded a 68 despite finding the water with his approach to the 18th, while defending champion Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood both shot 69.

“I got off to a great start, three under through seven, and a couple of bogeys around the turn wasn’t great, but I think the course is playing a little bit more difficult this year,” Lowry said.

“There’s a lot more rough and it’s a little bit firmer so three under is not a bad score.”

Former winner Danny Willett looked set to challenge the lead when he covered his first 12 holes in six under par, only for the 2019 champion to aggravate an ongoing shoulder injury after hitting his tee shot on the 15th.

That led to a double bogey and the former Masters champion dropped three more shots on the last two holes and had to settle for a one-under-par 71.

“I hit balls for half an hour on Tuesday, half an hour yesterday and then the warm-up today and actually in fairness I felt pretty strong,” Willett said. “But when it goes it goes.”

Willett, who pulled out of last week’s Irish Open after an opening 76, will visit a surgeon in Manchester on Monday to determine the best course of action.

Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg overcame his nerves and a “stupid” double bogey to make an impressive start to the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Playing alongside Ryder Cup team-mates Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland, Aberg carded five birdies in a row on the back nine before hitting his tee shot out of bounds on the par-five 17th.

However, the 23-year-old responded with a birdie on the last to card an opening four-under-par 68, with Hovland returning a 69 and McIlroy struggling to a level-par 72.

“The 17th was a little bit stupid but other than that I felt like I hit the ball great and gave myself a few chances, especially on the back nine where it’s a little bit more scoreable,” Aberg said.

“Overall, I’m really happy with the way I played. I was very nervous this morning, it would have been weird if I wasn’t, but playing with Rory and Viktor was a lot of fun.”

Aberg only turned professional in June after a stellar amateur career, but won the final Ryder Cup qualifying event in Switzerland and was given a wild card by Europe captain Luke Donald the following day.

McIlroy declared on Wednesday that he was now at the front of the Aberg “bandwagon” after partnering him in a practice round in Rome two days earlier, while Hovland joined Justin Rose in labelling him a “stud”.

“The way he’s played the last couple of months, he has not been a pro very long but he certainly doesn’t look scared of the moment,” Hovland said. “I think this week is a great experience for him but I think he’s ready regardless.”

Denmark’s Marcus Helligkilde held the clubhouse lead on eight under par after carding 10 birdies and two bogeys in a 64, while defending champion Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood both shot 69.

“I got off to a great start, three under through seven, and a couple of bogeys around the turn wasn’t great, but I think the course is playing a little bit more difficult this year,” Lowry said.

“There’s a lot more rough and it’s a little bit firmer so three under is not a bad score.”

Rory McIlroy has placed himself firmly at the front of the Ludvig Aberg “bandwagon” ahead of the rising star’s Ryder Cup debut.

Aberg was hailed as a generational talent by Europe captain Luke Donald after he gave the 23-year-old Swede one of his six wild cards for the upcoming contest against the United States.

A former world number one amateur, Aberg only turned professional in June but won the final qualifying event in Switzerland and will make the quickest transition from the amateur ranks to the Ryder Cup in the contest’s history.

Such has been Aberg’s meteoric rise that McIlroy, the world number two and four-time major winner, said he had been excited to play alongside him in practice at the Ryder Cup venue on Monday.

“There’s a few new faces on the team and I thought it was a great exercise in terms of getting to know one another a little bit better,” said McIlroy, who teamed up with Tommy Fleetwood but lost 3&2 to Aberg and Viktor Hovland.

“I had an opportunity to play with Ludvig for the first time on Monday, which I was excited about. I told him I’ve been looking forward to this for a while.”

Asked if Aberg had lived up to his expectations, Mcllroy added: “Probably exceeded them. Everyone talks about what a great driver of the golf ball he is, which he is. The ball-striking is incredible.

“But I was really impressed with his wedge play and how he can sort of control his trajectory with shorter clubs. I was on the bandwagon before and I’m certainly at the front of it now.”

McIlroy partnered Shane Lowry and Ian Poulter (twice) in the last Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, but lost all three matches as Europe suffered a humiliating 19-9 defeat in Wisconsin.

The 34-year-old was also left out of a session for the first time since making his debut in 2010 and gave a tearful television interview after beating Xander Schauffele in the opening singles on the final day.

“I told a story on Monday night to the team about watching Brookline in ’99 on TV and crying after America came back and Europe lost, and obviously I cried in Whistling Straits in 2021, so not much has changed,” McIlroy said.

“I feel as someone that should go out there and win points for the team, I didn’t do that. Whether it would have made a difference to whether we won or lost if I did play well that week, who knows.

“We’re not used to playing for other people in this game, and you go out there and you’re playing for your team-mates, you want to do well for them.

“I felt like I didn’t do that and I felt like I didn’t give a good account of myself and that stung and the scoreline stung. First time I had been dropped in a session in The Ryder Cup. It was a difficult week for me.

“But that emotion was real and what I said at the end of that tournament was all true.

“It is by far the best experience in sport, and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with your team-mates in an environment like that is I think the epitome of what competition and what sport is.”

Shane Lowry admits he was not best pleased to hear criticism of his Ryder Cup wild card after taking the chance to “shut a few people up” with his performance in the Irish Open.

Lowry received one of captain Luke Donald’s six picks having finished 11th on the European points list and eighth on the world points list, with only the top three on each qualifying automatically.

The former Open champion won the first qualifying event – and will defend his BMW PGA Championship title this week – but his sole top-10 finish in 2023 prior to The K Club came in February’s Honda Classic.

That led to criticism of Lowry’s selection, with former British Masters
winner Richard Bland among those believing that Adrian Meronk’s consistent form – including May’s Italian Open victory at the Ryder Cup venue – meant the Pole “deserves a pick over an out-of-form Lowry”.

“I know there was a little bit about that last week and…. I need to be careful here,” Lowry said in his pre-tournament press conference at Wentworth.

“Didn’t sit very well with me to be honest. I feel like, yes, my results have not been amazing this year, but I feel if you purely go down to statistics and go down the 12 best players in Europe, I’m one of them. And I feel like I deserve my place on the team.

“I didn’t feel like I had to go out and prove anything to anyone last week. The Irish Open is a huge tournament for me and a tournament I wanted to play well in.

“If it shut a few people up, so be it, but I wasn’t trying to do that last week. I wasn’t trying to finish third last week, I was trying to win the tournament. So last week was disappointing for me.

“This week is the same. I’m trying to win the tournament here this week.  I know I deserve to be on that team and I know I’ll be good in Rome in a couple weeks and I’m very excited for it.”

All 12 of Europe’s team are competing at Wentworth after a flying visit to Marco Simone Golf and Country Club on Monday, where the thickness of the rough has proved a major topic of conversation.

Numerous balls were reportedly lost during the practice round and Lowry joked: “I only lost one so I was pretty happy with myself.

“Our group (Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka and Justin Rose) was actually pretty good, we didn’t lose that many, but one group had a bad day losing a few.

“It’s pretty brutal in spots but just off the fairways is no different to what you might see at the US Open or something like that. If you go a decent bit off the fairways that’s going to get very interesting.”

Asked if players thought the rough might need to be cut back, Lowry added: “No. If you hit a good drive down the fairway and hit a good second shot you’re on the green, that’s what golf’s about. That’s how I see it.

“If you look at the way the course is set up, Scottie Scheffler is number one tee-to-green in the world. So it should suit him. They have got some of the best players in the world.

“But we also have some of the best players in the world and I honestly think that it all comes down to who gets off to a fast start and who holes the most putts. That’s what Ryder Cups are about.”

Europe will certainly hope home advantage plays its part as seven of the last eight Ryder Cups have been won by the home side, with 2012’s ‘Miracle at Medinah’ the lone exception.

The United States stormed to a record 19-9 victory at Whistling Straits two years ago, but Lowry is confident a new generation of European players will prove a different proposition in Rome.

“If you look at their team, Scottie Scheffler was the worst player and he was 21st in the world, and he was world number one about five months later. That’s kind of what we are up against,” Lowry said.

“I feel like this is almost like maybe the next generation for European golf and I think that’s very exciting to see guys like Nicolai (Hojgaard) and Ludvig (Aberg) on the team and Viktor (Hovland).

“You look at Vincent Norrman winning last week, he’s probably going to be on future European Ryder Cup teams. I think European golf is better than what people have been talking about over the last couple of years.”

Sweden’s Vincent Norrman surged through the field to win the Horizon Irish Open as Rory McIlroy’s bid for a second victory in the event came to a shambolic end.

Norrman carded a flawless closing 65 at The K Club to finish 14 under par and a shot ahead of 54-hole leader Hurly Long, with former champion Shane Lowry part of a four-way tie for third on 12 under.

McIlroy began the final round two behind Long and birdied the first and fourth either side of a 90-minute weather delay to share the lead, but found water on the seventh, 11th and twice on the 16th as he stumbled to a 74.

Norrman started the day six behind Long but made six birdies in the space of eight holes from the seventh and then two-putted the par-five 18th for another to set the clubhouse target on 14 under.

Long was briefly on the same score thanks to a birdie on the 12th, but bogeyed the next two holes and was unable to make an eagle on the last to force a play-off.

“It means everything,” Norrman said after his second DP World Tour title in two months, the first coming in the co-sanctioned Barbasol Championship in July.

“It’s such a cool event to play, the fans have been incredible and I really had a fun week out there. It was a long wait (for everyone to finish) but I’m super happy. I can’t believe this happened. I’m over the moon.

“I was starting off a little so-so and I made two birdies and got a rain delay, had a coffee and then went out and flushed it.

“I knew there were a few chances out there. I didn’t really have a number in my head. I just tried to press on with some birdie looks and saved a few great pars too to keep the momentum going.”

McIlroy, who lifted the trophy the last time The K Club hosted the event in 2016, followed his early birdies with a double bogey on the seventh and a bogey on the 11th before reviving his chances with a birdie on the 13th.

However, the world number two then hit his second shot on the 16th into the water for the second day running and amazingly flew his fourth shot from the drop zone over the green and into the same hazard, eventually getting up and down from a greenside bunker for a triple-bogey eight.

Lowry, who began the week facing questions about his Ryder Cup wild card after recording just one top-10 finish in 2023, carded a third 68 of the week which featured a tap-in eagle on the fourth and four birdies.

“It’s obviously a tournament that I would love to win again,” Lowry, who was still an amateur when he won in 2009, said.

“I’m a little disappointed now because to be honest I didn’t see a scoreboard for a long time out there. There was not many out there and 13 under was still leading when I got to the 16th green.

“I did my best and it’s been a great week. The crowds were incredible. It’s one of the best Irish Opens I can remember.

“All in all it’s been a good week for me and a step in the right direction and I’ll be back to defend my (BMW PGA Championship) title at Wentworth next week, which is exciting as well.”

Rory McIlroy overcame a broken club and more drama on the 16th hole to surge into contention for a second Horizon Irish Open title at The K Club.

Eight shots behind at the halfway stage, McIlroy took full advantage of a stuttering display from the leaders to post a third round of 66 to reach 11 under par, two shots behind Germany’s Hurly Long.

Long, who is ranked 252nd in the world and without a top-25 finish this season, recorded a 70 to end the day 13 under, a shot ahead of England’s Jordan Smith.

The final group of Smith, Shubhankar Sharma and Ross Fisher were a combined nine over par for the front nine and six over par at the finish, Sharma and Fisher dropping into a six-way tie for fourth on 10 under.

McIlroy was already five under for the day when he stood over his second shot to the par-five 16th, where he holed out from 116 yards for an eagle on Friday and which he birdied in 2016 to kickstart his victory push.

It was a completely different story on Saturday, however, the four-time major winner pushing his second shot into the water and seeing his fourth from the drop zone hit a rock on the edge of the hazard but luckily bounce on to the putting surface.

McIlroy narrowly missed the long par attempt but responded superbly with birdies on the 17th and 18th, the latter courtesy of a 346-yard drive and nine-iron approach to the 548-yard par-five.

“To bounce back with the two birdies on 17 and 18 after putting the ball in the water on 16 was huge, so overall a great day’s play,” McIlroy said.

“I didn’t feel like I did anything very special, but it added up to a great score and I’ve gotten myself a lot closer to the lead when last night (Friday) I thought I was maybe a little bit too far behind and out of it.

“It’s hard to try to win your national Open and try to get over the line. I’m excited to have another opportunity.

“I was fortunate enough to do it a few years ago here and having those memories is going to be nice, and also having the support of the crowd out there as well is going to be incredibly helpful.”

Asked about the 16th, McIlroy added: “It’s one of those holes – just because of the design of it and with my length being able to go for it, it provides a lot of drama.

“I was frustrated that I made bogey and then walking off the green I thought I should be pretty grateful after the fourth shot from the drop zone.

“I didn’t play for as much wind as I should have and got incredibly fortunate hitting the rock and going on the green.”

McIlroy also revealed he had broken his 3-wood after hitting a poor tee shot on the sixth, admitting: “I went to hit the top of that tee-marker and I caught the corner with the bottom of the shaft.

“It was just a flick. I’ve done it a couple of times before this week and everything went okay, but that one didn’t.”

India’s Shubhankar Sharma and England’s Jordan Smith share the halfway lead in the Horizon Irish Open as home favourites Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy experienced contrasting finishes at The K Club.

Sharma raced to the turn in just 28 shots on his way to a second round of 66, setting what looked an imposing target of 13 under par in sweltering conditions.

Smith responded with seven birdies in the first 11 holes and took the outright lead with another on the 15th, but ran up a double bogey on the 17th before completing a 65 with a birdie on the last.

Lowry birdied the 17th and 18th to complete a second successive 68 and lie five shots off the pace, while McIlroy holed out from 116 yards for an eagle on the 16th but immediately gave both shots back with a double bogey on 17.

“I’m trying to think of the last time I made a double bogey, it’s been a few months and I’ve prided myself on really limiting my mistakes,” McIlroy said after a 70 left him eight shots off the lead.

“That was one that obviously got away from me and I need a good one tomorrow to get myself back into it. There’s low scores to be had on this golf course especially with how the conditions are.”

A birdie at the 16th sparked McIlroy’s victory surge the last time the Irish Open was staged at The K Club in 2016 and he added: “There’s something about that hole that brings out the best in me.

“It was a lovely pin for a wedge shot with that back stop and using the slope to bring the ball back. It’s always a bonus and a bit of luck when they go in the hole but it was a lovely shot.”

Lowry, who won the 2009 Irish Open when he was still an amateur, said: “I’ve a huge weekend ahead of me.

“I’ve obviously been very fortunate to win this tournament before but I’d love nothing more than the opportunity to do that again this weekend.

“Expectations are a tough thing in sport and we’re going to see that over the next two months with the rugby team (at World Cup), but I think you just have to get out of your own way and let yourself do what you do best.

“I’ve done that very well over the last two days and I just need to do that again over the weekend.”

The start of play had been delayed by 30 minutes due to fog, but Sharma quickly made up for lost time as he birdied seven of the first nine holes.

“I had nine single putts which was amazing, I don’t think I’ve done that before,” he said. “Everything was just flowing nicely, I was hitting it in the right spots and was really good inside 10 feet so it all came together.”

The 27-year-old won his first DP World Tour title in December 2017 and his second just two months later, but has not tasted victory since and has recorded only two top-10 finishes this season, although the most recent was in the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

“I took a four-week break after the Open and was sick last week so spent most of the weekend sleeping on my couch, but I still have good memories from the Open so I am just trying to continue that form,” he added.

“I’m obviously very keen on getting back into the winner’s circle but it’ll happen when it happens.

“I can only control the controllables, have a good positive mindset on the weekend and I’m sure it will happen soon rather than later.”

Sharma and Smith ended the day with a one-shot lead over England’s Ross Fisher, who carded a second consecutive 66, with Germany’s Hurly Long on 11 under and Scotland’s Calum Hill another stroke back after a remarkable 65.

Hill carded three eagles in the space of seven holes, holing from nine feet on the fourth, from 124 yards on the ninth and 35 feet on the 10th.

India’s Shubhankar Sharma set a daunting clubhouse target on day two of the Horizon Irish Open at The K Club.

Following a 30-minute delay due to early morning fog, overnight leader Sharma raced to the turn in just 28 shots with seven birdies and two pars.

A first bogey of the week on the par-five 10th halted Sharma’s momentum and although he bounced back immediately with a birdie on the 11th, the 27-year-old could only cover the last seven holes in one over par.

The resulting 66 gave the two-time DP World Tour winner a halfway total of 13 under par and a four-shot lead over Germany’s Freddy Schott, who covered his last 14 holes in nine under par in a superb 64.

“It was a really early morning start for us so I was a bit sleepy but I managed to make a lot of putts on the front nine,” Sharma said.

“I had nine single putts which was amazing, I don’t think I’ve done that before. Everything was just flowing nicely, I was hitting it in the right spots and was really good inside 10 feet so it all came together.

“It was still as hot as yesterday, which is quite unusual for Ireland, but I quite like this weather and the greens were better today because we played in the morning.

“There are some tough pin positions but if you’re on with your putter there will be low scores out there. I made some changes in the first half of the season but I’m finally seeing the results.”

Sharma won his first DP World Tour title in December 2017 and his second just two months later, but has yet to taste victory since and has recorded only two top-10 finishes this season, although the most recent was in the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

“I took a four-week break after the Open and was sick last week so spent most of the weekend sleeping on my couch, but I still have good memories from the Open so I am just trying to continue that form,” he added.

“I’m obviously very keen on getting back into the winner’s circle but it’ll happen when it happens.

“I can only control the controllables, have a good positive mindset on the weekend and I’m sure it will happen soon rather than later.”

Shane Lowry has set his sights on a second Horizon Irish Open title backed by bus-loads of home fans after making a strong start to a massive month of golf.

Lowry carded seven birdies and three bogeys in an opening 68 to trail clubhouse leader Shubhankar Sharma by three shots on a sweltering opening day at The K Club.

The former Open champion, who was still an amateur when he won the Irish Open in 2009, will defend his BMW PGA Championship title next week and then make his second appearance in the Ryder Cup at the end of September, with Europe seeking to regain the trophy in Rome.

“Take away everything else that’s in the next few weeks, this is a big week for me, ” Lowry said.  “I want to go out there and play well and give myself a chance to win this tournament.

“It’s only 45 minutes to an hour from where I’m from in Clara. I want the people to be getting on their buses on Sunday morning to come and watch me try and win this tournament.

“That’s all I want this week. It’s nothing to do with the Ryder Cup or Wentworth next week or anything.

“This tournament for me is huge. I feel at home here. I live in Florida and I miss home a lot when I’m away. It’s nice to be back.”

Lowry’s 68 was matched by compatriot Mark Power, who carded two birdies and an eagle on the 18th in his first start as a professional, as well as Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, while Rory McIlroy returned a 69.

Rory McIlroy tees off on the 14th during day one of the 2023 Horizon Irish Open at The K Club (Brian Lawless/PA)McIlroy, who won the tournament the last time it was staged at The K Club in 2016, started on the back nine and bogeyed his first hole following a wayward drive and penalty drop, but birdied his last two holes to end the day on a high.

“I think the two birdies in the last two holes sort of glossed over what was a pretty average day,” McIlroy said. “Didn’t really feel great with anything.

“It’s hard to say I’m rusty when I’ve only had a week off but I just haven’t had a chance to practice much and I just hit a few loose shots out there.

“Managed my game well and scraped it around in three under which is nice and sort of gets me in the tournament.

“I’m hitting good shots but it’s all about knowing your patterns and where you’re missing it and where to aim and where not to aim and just being a little unsure over a couple of shots.”

Sharma’s flawless 65 gave him a one-shot lead over Jordan Smith, Ross Fisher and Ryder Cup vice-captain Thomas Bjorn, who admitted he was as surprised as anyone to find himself near the top of the leaderboard.

The 52-year-old has not played competitively since June due to collarbone and lower back problems, but carded seven birdies and a solitary bogey on the ninth, his final hole.

“I said to my caddie this morning when we walked to the first tee, let’s try to see if we can break 90,” Bjorn said. “It was that kind of day.

“I came here with no expectations and it just shows how silly this game can be. You can work hard for weeks and go out and shoot bad scores.

“Expectations sometimes get in the way of professional golf, as I’ve shown, and then you just go out and enjoy yourself, you’re just happy to be on the golf course after so long.”

Defending champion Adrian Meronk, who admitted on Wednesday he was shocked and angry to be overlooked for a Ryder Cup wild card, matched the 69 of playing partner McIlroy, with the third member of the group, American Billy Horschel, also carding the same score.

Former champion Rory McIlroy admitted two late birdies helped “gloss over” an average first round of the Horizon Irish Open.

McIlroy, who won the title the last time it was staged at The K Club in 2016, carded an opening 69 in glorious conditions to lie three shots off the early clubhouse lead shared by Jordan Smith, Thomas Bjorn and Ross Fisher.

The world number two bogeyed his first hole of the day and drove into the water on the seventh to lie just one under par with two holes remaining, but holed from 18 feet for birdie on the eighth and four feet on the ninth.

“I think the two birdies in the last two holes sort of glossed over what was a pretty average day,” McIlroy said. “Didn’t really feel great with anything.

“It’s hard to say I’m rusty when I’ve only had a week off but I just haven’t had a chance to practice much and I just hit a few loose shots out there.

“Managed my game well and scraped it around in three under which is nice and sort of gets me in the tournament.”

McIlroy almost pulled out of the Tour Championship with a back injury and is not yet back to full fitness, but insisted that was not an issue on the course.

“It’s more that I have not been able to hit a ton of balls,” the 34-year-old added.

“I’m hitting good shots but it’s all about knowing your patterns and where you’re missing it and where to aim and where not to aim and just being a little unsure over a couple of shots.”

Ryder Cup vice-captain Bjorn admitted he was as surprised as anyone to find himself at the top of the leaderboard after a lengthy injury lay-off.

The 52-year-old has not played competitively since June due to collarbone and lower back problems, but carded seven birdies and a solitary bogey on the ninth, his final hole.

“I said to my caddie this morning when we walked to the first tee, let’s try to see if we can break 90,” Bjorn said. “It was that kind of day.

“I came here with no expectations and it just shows how silly this game can be. You can work hard for weeks and go out and shoot bad scores.

“Expectations sometimes get in the way of professional golf, as I’ve shown, and then you just go out and enjoy yourself, you’re just happy to be on the golf course after so long.”

Defending champion Adrian Meronk, who admitted on Wednesday he was shocked and angry to be overlooked for a Ryder Cup wild card, matched the 69 of playing partner McIlroy, with former Open champion Shane Lowry going one better with a 68.

Rory McIlroy has pledged to take a “sensible” approach to a friend’s stag do just days before the start of the Ryder Cup.

And the world number two has also assured captain Luke Donald that he is close to full fitness after the back injury which almost forced him to withdraw from the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

McIlroy had previously joked that he would need “a few days to dry out” from his trip to Mykonos before travelling to Rome, where Europe will attempt to regain the Ryder Cup following their record 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits.

“I’m sensible when I need to be,” McIlroy said with a smile in his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the Horizon Irish Open.

“48 hours, nice little trip, and probably needed as well. (I go) from here to practise in Rome next week, to Wentworth.

“I get back into London on Wednesday evening and then four good days in London to practise and get myself ready to go to Rome on the Monday.”

Donald also laughed off any concerns, adding: “It’s not like Rory is 22 or 21. He understands.

“There’s nothing wrong in going out and having some fun with your friends. But I think he’s got wise enough shoulders to know that he won’t go crazy, so no concerns there.”

McIlroy hit just 20 balls before his first round of the Tour Championship after suffering a muscle spasm two days earlier which left him unable to move.

The 34-year-old struggled to an opening round of 70 at East Lake but the injury gradually improved throughout the week and he closed with a 65 to finish in a tie for 11th.

“I would say it’s at 90 per cent, 95 per cent,” McIlroy said. “I just have to take care of it a little bit but it’s not preventing me from doing anything I want to do. Just being a little mindful, I guess.

“I’ve had much worse. I had much worse back issues when I was 21. This is a bit of tightness, a bit of a muscle spasm. I’ve had a herniated disc and I’ve had stuff that would be a lot more worrying than this is. It’s fine. It’s totally fine.”

McIlroy produced a sensational finish to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat the last time The K Club staged the Irish Open in 2016, having seen a three-shot lead turn into a one-shot deficit in the final round.

A stunning approach from 270 yards set up a two-putt birdie on the par-five 16th and McIlroy produced an even better shot to the last, his five-wood from 252 yards finishing within three feet of the hole for a tap-in eagle.

“The two shots I hit on 16 then the two on 18, that’s the way you want to try to close out a golf tournament. It was amazing,” McIlroy recalled.

“They had set up a sort of bar on the right side of 16 and when my ball hit the green I just remember the roar from over there was pretty cool.

“It was a great finish and for as long as I can remember the only tournament my mum ever wanted to see me win was The Irish Open. So for her to be there and for me to win it, it means a lot to her obviously and a lot to us as a family.”

McIlroy has a lead of more than 2,000 points over Jon Rahm at the top of the Race to Dubai, but will take six weeks off between the Ryder Cup and the season-finale in Dubai.

Strong performances in Ireland and next week’s BMW PGA Championship would therefore go a long way to securing a fifth money list title, three behind the record of Colin Montgomerie.

“I’ve got a nice little cushion at the minute but these two weeks are important,” McIlroy said.

“I want to play well for a number of reasons. I want to feel like I’m confident and in good form going into the Ryder Cup obviously.

“But yeah, I think it would be a pretty cool achievement to win The Race to Dubai for a fifth time and start creeping up on Monty.”

Shane Lowry believes Europe have the best 12 players available as they bid to regain the Ryder Cup from the United States.

Lowry received one of captain Luke Donald’s six wild cards on Monday having finished 11th on the European points list and eighth on the world points list, with only the top three on each qualifying automatically.

The former Open champion won the first qualifying event – and will defend his BMW PGA Championship title next week – but his sole top-10 finish in 2023 came in February’s Honda Classic.

That has led to criticism of Lowry’s selection, with former British Masters winner Richard Bland among those believing that Adrian Meronk’s consistent form – including May’s Italian Open victory at the Ryder Cup venue – meant the Pole “deserves a pick over an out-of-form Lowry.”

“Well, people have their opinion,” Lowry said ahead of the Horizon Irish Open at The K Club.

“Adrian has had a great year and obviously he’s unfortunate to miss out, but somebody has to miss out.

“I’m not going to sit here and disagree with Luke Donald. It was his decision at the end of the day, if he thinks that somebody else is better for this team than he (Meronk) was.

“If you look at the way the team was picked, there’s not many players playing that weren’t in the top 12, myself included. And that’s why you have six picks, so you have the chance to pick the 12 best players.

“I personally think that’s the right way to go about it and I think we have the best 12 players from Europe coming to play this Ryder Cup, and I think we’re in form.

“A lot of players are in very good form, as you’ve seen over the last few weeks, and I think we’re going to give it a great go this year.

“I’m very confident in my own ability, and I know what I can bring. My form probably has not been the greatest, but in some of the bigger events I’ve played some of my best golf and there’s nothing bigger than the Ryder Cup.

“Hopefully I can go to Rome and show people what I’m made of.”

Lowry also needed a wild card to make his Ryder Cup debut at Whistling Straits two years ago and has unsurprisingly received the backing of the man who picked him then, three-time major winner Padraig Harrington.

“There’s no doubt about Shane, he’s a big-time player,” Harrington said.

“He likes the big occasions, the majors, and at the Ryder Cup he loved it. He was very comfortable, wasn’t like a rookie at all. He loves the pressure-filled occasions.

“It’s strange, I’ve seen the odd thing from people that aren’t in the know saying maybe somebody else should have got picked but it’s not even close.

“If we were playing a small tournament in the middle of nowhere with no adrenaline maybe Shane wouldn’t be the right pick, but when it comes to the Ryder Cup I’d definitely be trusting him.”

Lowry won one point from his three matches at Whistling Straits as Europe suffered a record 19-9 defeat to a home team whose lowest-ranked player at the time was world number 21 Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler went on to win four times in six starts in 2022, including the Masters, and is the current world number one.

“I think we just caught them on our downturn and their upturn,” Harrington added. “That one extra year due to Covid, our team went from peaking to slightly off.

“Many of the US players were probably at their very peak at that stage and the Europeans are only coming into that now. Europe has got a lot stronger in those two years.

“It ebbs and flows in the game of golf and I think the flow is with Europe now.”

Europe captain Luke Donald hailed Ludvig Aberg as a “generational” talent after handing him a wild card and backing a team with four “fearless” rookies to regain the Ryder Cup.

Former world number one amateur Aberg only turned professional in June, but won the final qualifying event in Switzerland on Sunday with a final round of 64 at Crans-sur-Sierre.

The 23-year-old Swede has made the quickest transition from the amateur ranks to the Ryder Cup in the contest’s history, eclipsing the previous record set by Sergio Garcia, who made his debut in 1999 after turning professional following April’s Masters.

Aberg was selected along with Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Nicolai Hojgaard, with Poland’s Adrian Meronk arguably the most unfortunate to miss out after winning the Italian Open at the host venue in May.

The six wild cards join automatic qualifiers Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre in Donald’s team, which will attempt to regain the trophy at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club following a record 19-9 thrashing two years ago.

Speaking about Aberg, Donald said: “We obviously knew what he was doing in the college scene. You look at what he did in those four years and the only comparables really were Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm. He is that good.

“I played with him in Detroit and was blown away by his game. He was a cool nine under through 16 holes like it was nothing. He was calm, collected, he made everything look very simple and he hits a lot of quality shots.

“I haven’t played a lot with Jon Rahm, I got to watch Viktor for three matches at Whistling Straits and was really impressed with his ball-striking. When Rory was breaking out I thought ‘this kid is special’ and Ludvig fits in that.

“He continued to impress and I challenged him to come over to Europe and play a couple (of events).

“He was fifth (tied fourth) in the Czech Masters and you know what he did yesterday. It was like a walk in the park for him and for someone that is so inexperienced, it was just so, so impressive.

“I really do have a lot of faith and belief in Ludvig. He is a generational player, he’s going to be around a long time and he’s going to do amazing things.

“If he wasn’t going to play this one he was going to play the next eight Ryder Cups, that’s how good I think he is.

“He proved it on Sunday, he’s a cool customer too. The statistics show he would be the number one driver this year, ahead of Rory and Scottie Scheffler.

“I am happy to have four rookies on the team. In 2004 I was one of five and we did just fine. These young kids are ready and fearless.”

Aberg said: “Thinking about getting that call from Luke gives me goosebumps. These are the events you want to be a part of.

“You want to have that shot or putt to win a match. I’ve been fortunate to be part of team events before, although I understand this is at a different level. But I am up for the challenge.”

Rose, who will make his sixth Ryder Cup appearance in Rome, conceded initial thoughts of picking Aberg had sounded “incredibly premature”, but added: “He has absolutely backed it up.

“I was aware of this European stud turning pro and he’s one of the players who has a very-impressive game to the point where, in the evening if you haven’t watched any coverage, you go to his Shot Tracker and you go ‘Oh my God’, he hit it 340 yards down the middle of that fairway.

“He has a couple of weapons that are not necessarily at everyone’s disposal.”

Away from Aberg, Donald praised Straka for travelling from Maui to Abu Dhabi to take part in January’s inaugural Hero Cup, where Hojgaard – who is another winner at Marco Simone – went unbeaten as a late replacement for his injured twin brother Rasmus.

And the former world number one insisted he had no concerns over the form of 2019 Open champion Lowry, who has not recorded a top 10 finish in 2023.

“He’s a big-time player, he steps up in the moments,” Donald said. “We have two important weeks for him in Ireland and Wentworth and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s up there having a good chance in those events.”

Asked if Meronk was unfortunate to miss out, Donald added: “Adrian was very much on my mind. There were a number of players that you could make a good argument to be on that team that aren’t. Those are difficult decisions.

“I’ve been in that position myself, I know what it feels like and it’s gut-wrenching. I spoke to them all and it’s never easy but they handled it with class.”

Europe captain Luke Donald admitted he had been “blown away” by the ability of Ludvig Aberg after handing the rising star one of his six wild cards for the 44th Ryder Cup in Rome.

Former world number one amateur Aberg only turned professional in June, but won the final qualifying event in Switzerland on Sunday with a final round of 64 at Crans-sur-Sierre.

The 23-year-old Swede has made the quickest transition from the amateur ranks to the Ryder Cup in the contest’s history, eclipsing the previous record set by Sergio Garcia, who made his debut in 1999 after turning professional following April’s Masters.

Aberg was selected along with Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Nicolai Hojgaard, with Poland’s Adrian Meronk missing out despite winning the Italian Open at the host venue in May.

The six wild cards join automatic qualifiers Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre in Donald’s team, which will attempt to regain the trophy at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club from September 29 to October 1.

Speaking about Aberg, Donald said: “We obviously knew what he was doing in the college scene. You look at what he did in those four years and the only comparables really were Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm. He is that good.

“I played with him in Detroit and was blown away by his game. He continued to impress and I challenged him to come over to Europe and play a couple (of events).

“He was fifth (tied fourth) in the Czech Masters and you know what he did yesterday. It was like a walk in the park for him and for someone that is so inexperienced it was just so, so impressive.”

Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg won the Omega European Masters in just his ninth event as a professional to make a hugely compelling case for a Ryder Cup wild card.

Aberg, who only joined the paid ranks in June, carded a superb closing 64 at Crans-sur-Sierre to finish 19 under par, two shots ahead of compatriot Alexander Bjork.

Overnight leader Matt Fitzpatrick, who was bidding to join Seve Ballesteros as a three-time winner of the event, bogeyed three of the last four holes to slip into a tie for third with Scotland’s Connor Syme on 16 under.

That was still enough to replace Tommy Fleetwood in the final qualifying place on the World Points list, with Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre holding on to the last spot on the European Points list.

Europe captain Luke Donald will name his six wild cards on Monday and it would be a major surprise if Aberg was not selected along with Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry, with Sepp Straka, Adrian Meronk and Nicolai Hojgaard potentially battling it out for the two remaining spots.

“I don’t even know where to start, it’s a pretty surreal feeling to be honest, but obviously super, super happy,” the 23-year-old said.

“I figured a win would put me in a good position (for the Ryder Cup) but honestly I’ve been doing a pretty good job of not thinking about it too much.

“I feel like I get reminded of it a lot, but once I get on the golf course it’s just me and golf and luckily I was able to finish well today and win the tournament.

“It would mean the world obviously. I think as a young golfer growing up in Sweden and in Europe those are the events you want to be a part of and if I ever get the chance to be a part of that I’m going to be over the moon. It would be really cool.”

Aberg began the final round two shots behind Fitzpatrick and was three adrift when the former US Open champion carded his third birdie of the day on the 13th.

Fitzpatrick also birdied the 14th, but then bogeyed three of the next four holes as Aberg compiled four birdies in a row from the 14th to surge to the top of the leaderboard.

MacIntyre had earlier finished in a tie for 55th after making a double bogey on the 18th in a closing 70, but neither Meronk or Yannik Paul were able to produce the top-three finish they needed to overhaul the left-hander.

“I am so excited,” MacIntyre said. “It’s been a tough qualifying campaign, but I am pleased with the way I have dealt with the challenge and to have earned one of the six automatic spots.

“I’ve worked hard to play in the Ryder Cup, but now it’s important that we go on and win it.”

MacIntyre, who played alongside Donald in the Czech Masters and was paired with Meronk and Paul for the first two rounds in Switzerland, added: “The last two weeks have been hell.

“Pairings in the first two rounds, media hype – everything has just been tough.”

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