Ludvig Åberg Wins The Genesis Invitational With a Late Charge at Torrey Pines

Three weeks ago, Torrey Pines sent Ludvig Åberg home sick, 10 pounds lighter and wondering what might have been. On Sunday, it handed him a trophy from Tiger Woods.

Åberg birdied four of his last six holes, the last from just under 7 feet on the 72nd green, to shoot a 6-under 66 and win The Genesis Invitational at 12-under 276. Maverick McNealy, who started the day five shots back and briefly led by three, shot 64 and finished one shot back at 11 under. Scottie Scheffler (66) and 54-hole leader Patrick Rodgers (71) tied for third at 9 under, and a group of four that included Denny McCarthy finished tied for fifth at 8 under.

It is Åberg's second PGA TOUR title and the third win of his professional career since turning pro in June 2023. It came with $4 million and 700 FedExCup points, per the PGA TOUR, and it moves the 25-year-old Swede to No. 4 in the world.

McNealy Sets the Target

For most of the afternoon, this looked like McNealy's tournament. He saved par from 40 feet on the first hole and then caught fire, making eight birdies in his first 11 holes to vault from five back into a three-shot lead.

The finish was a grind. On the 17th, his drive caromed off a pole into the rough and he had to scramble for par. On the par-5 18th, his birdie putt to post 12 under slid by. That left McNealy in the clubhouse at 11-under 277 and waiting.

"It's more than I could have asked for at the start of the day," McNealy said, per the AP. "Ludvig played awesome."

The Back-Nine Push

Åberg's rally started with a save, not a birdie. On the 12th he holed a sliding 6-footer for par to stay within reach. Then the putter took over. He two-putted from 50 feet for birdie on the par-5 13th, knocked one to 5 feet at a daunting back pin on 14 for another, and poured in a 25-footer on 15 to tie McNealy for the lead.

Somewhere in that run, Åberg turned to caddie Joe Skovron with a reminder of how far he had come since the Farmers. "This Sunday is a lot more fun than the last one we had," he said, per the AP.

That last Sunday was a 79, played through a stomach ailment that also forced a withdrawal from Pebble Beach. This one was the opposite: calm, controlled and clutch.

Seven-Wood, Seven Feet

The finish was textbook. From the middle of the 18th fairway, Åberg hit a 7-wood onto the green about 70 feet away. The eagle putt rolled to just inside 7 feet. He made the next one, and it was over.

"This is the best feeling in golf," Åberg said, per the AP. He also made it clear how much the turnaround meant. "It's very reassuring to know that I can go from where I was a couple weeks ago to winning," Åberg said. "It was a great fight."

Woods, who withdrew Monday after the death of his mother, Kultida, watched from the broadcast booth and presented the trophy. Players wore red buttons bearing the Thai symbol for love in her honor. Åberg had met Woods for the first time only a few weeks earlier at TGL in Florida, per the PGA TOUR.

Scheffler's Bounce Back

Saturday's 76 was Scheffler's highest score in nearly three years. Sunday's answer was a 66. Scheffler turned in 31 with five birdies, including a chip-in on the fifth, and got within one shot of the lead.

The back nine was a mixed bag. Scheffler bogeyed the 11th, holed a bunker shot for birdie on 15, then dropped a shot from a bunker on 16. A tie for third still counts as a strong week for a player who opened his season late after a hand injury.

A Long Day for the Leaders

Rodgers, chasing a first TOUR win after more than 280 starts, could not find Saturday's rhythm. Bogeys on the 11th and 12th knocked him back, and a closing 71 left him tied for third.

McCarthy was holding the lead when he made eagle on the par-5 sixth. The birdies dried up after that, and he did not make another until the final hole, shooting 71 to tie for fifth with Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau and Tommy Fleetwood.

Rory McIlroy shot 72 and closed with a bogey after finding the water on 18. Davis Thompson, the 36-hole leader, also shot 72.

What It Means

This was supposed to be Riviera week, until the Los Angeles wildfires moved the event south. Instead, a signature event landed back at the course that had beaten Åberg up a few weeks earlier, and Åberg beat it back.

Two TOUR titles, a top-five world ranking and a back nine like this one on the resume: the former top-ranked college player out of Texas Tech is no longer a prospect. Torrey Pines took its shot at Åberg in January. In February, he took his back.

Revisit the week with our Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3 recaps. The final results are on the official PGA TOUR leaderboard (opens in a new tab), and the TOUR's final-round recap (opens in a new tab) has more.

Sources: PGA TOUR (final-round recap, leaderboard, points and payouts), AP. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.