Eerie omen suggests Ludvig Aberg could become first Masters rookie to win at Augusta in 45 years – and here’s why rising star can do it

The stars are aligning for rookie Ludvig Aberg at the 2024 Masters.

Well, perhaps not the stars, but certainly the sun, moon and Earth following the recent solar eclipse which plunged much of North America into total darkness for the first time since 2017.

Last time a rookie won the Masters there was also a solar eclipseCredit: GettyIt has been 45 years since a debutant won the Masters – that was Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979, who triumphed in a three-way sudden-death play-off with Ed Sneed and Tom Watson.

Strangely enough, there was a solar eclipse that year too, and the eerie omen may be a positive sign that Swedish prodigy Aberg could become only the fourth rookie to win the coveted green jacket.

The 24-year-old certainly has the game to do it, and according to three-time major champion Pádraig Harrington he’s one of the dark horses at Augusta National this week.

“I would say of any rookie he has the game to win,” the Irish star exclusively told talkSPORT.

READ MORE GOLF”He genuinely has the game to win it.

“It’s a big ask to go to the Masters but he’s a fine ball striker and Augusta has become much more about being a great driver recently, and greens are so important there.”

“It’s so difficult around the greens,” Harrington went on.

“It kind of nullifies the guys with the good short game because it’s just hard to get up and down whether you’re good or bad.

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Aberg is making his major debut at Augusta this yearCredit: Getty

He has shot to World No. 9 and was part of Europe’s Ryder Cup team last yearCredit: Getty”You can get down in three, but it’s hard to get down in two for good reason.

“But if you can drive the ball well, you can break the back of the golf course there.

Scary footage shows huge trees falling at 2023 Masters as Augusta issues another severe weather update and delays fan gate openings

“And Ludvig is is easily one of the best drivers in the game.”

The young Swede is seen as a generational talent and has been touted as one of golf’s ‘next ones up’ long before turning professional in June 2023.

This time last year, the youngster was still at Texas Tech and ranked number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

He won the Ben Hogan Award as the best collegiate player in the US in 2022 and 2023, and finished on top of the 2022–23 PGA Tour University rankings to earn membership on the tour.

That was before his breakout run which saw him win on both the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour within five months of turning pro.

He then made Europe’s Ryder Cup winning team, becoming the first golfer to play in a Ryder Cup before playing in a major championship.

Aberg now arrives at Augusta National at No. 9 in the Official World Golf Rankings for not only his Masters debut but his major debut.

He has made the top 25 in each of his last five tournaments, including runner-up at Pebble Beach and a eighth at The Players Championship last time out.

Aberg has been a professional for only seven months yet finds himself in the unusual position of being considered a dark horse at golf’s most prestigious and famous tournament.

He’s so young he wasn’t even aware of Zoeller being the last debutant to win at Augusta.

“I actually didn’t know that stat up until just now,” the Swede said at his pre-tournament press conference.

“But, yeah, I mean, I think that speaks to the difficulty of the golf course and the difficulty of some of the things that you might get thrown at you in the tournament. But I can’t really do a whole lot about that.”

The Masters first-timer knows he’ll have to contend with all sorts of emotions this week but is doing his best to stay even-keeled.

“Yeah, it’s a tricky balance because obviously I’m feeling all the first-time feelings that everyone’s feeling, but I’m also trying to be okay with all those things coming at me at the same time,” he went on.

“Because I think once you start fighting it, once you start trying to push it away, I think that’s when it becomes tricky.

“So I guess all I’m trying to do is just embrace all the nerves and all the excitement that I feel and at the same time know my capabilities and know my qualities and know that that’s probably going to be good enough to compete.

“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll definitely make sure that, coming Thursday, I’ll be as prepared as I can.”

First-round play in 2024 was delayed.

The Masters issued a weather update as severe storms hit the Southeast of the United States.

Read More on talkSPORT”We continue to monitor the weather closely,” the tournament posted.

“Gate openings and tee times have been delayed until further notice. The first round will not begin before 9am (2pm UK time).”