Swedish men's golfers are on their way to invade the USA.
Next season, three new players may join superstar Ludvig Åberg on the PGA Tour.
We want to get players who have the capacity to win, says national team captain Katarina Vangdal.
Ludvig Åberg, 24, is already a world star, Vincent Norrman, 26, won during his rookie season, Alex Norén, 41, has played in the USA for a few years, and next season they will be joined by Tim Widing, 26.
Swedish men's golf is gaining ground on the PGA Tour, and more may move across the Atlantic next season.
Both Jesper Svensson, 28, and Sebastian Söderberg, 33, are within the top ten on the overall standings of the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) – if they remain there when the season ends, the reward will be a spot on the PGA Tour in 2025.
"A bit of new roads"
I'd love for them to come over, so it becomes a bit more fun to travel and hang out with them, says Vincent Norrman with a smile.
Swedish men's golfers have attended college before, but a trend is emerging. The players are staying on after their studies and trying to break into the USA via the Korn Ferry Tour.
It's starting to feel like a bit of new roads. They've done so much work with PGA Tour University, so you get in a bit faster on the tours. I think it attracts a lot of people to go to college and then stay on when they're done, says Norrman.
Åberg never had to play on the Korn Ferry Tour. The Swede made history a year ago when he became the first player to go directly from college studies to the PGA Tour – since 2023, the amateur world number one at the end of May gets a tour card.
Two years older, Vincent Norrman took the route to the top level via a top 25 finish in the overall standings on the Korn Ferry Tour last season. A tour that can almost be compared to the European Tour in terms of competition.
College players who want to get into the USA Tour take that route. You continue to compete with the best college players, it's an extremely high level, says Sweden's national team captain Katarina Vangdal.
Vincent Norrman, who took his debut win on the USA Tour in July 2023, agrees.
If you come through the Korn Ferry, you're a very good player and deserve a spot on the PGA Tour. I think you're really ready to compete out on the tour, says the 26-year-old.
Earned his place
Contemporary Tim Widing has won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour this season and has already secured a spot on the PGA Tour next season. If he takes one more win on the Korn Ferry Tour, Widing will be promoted directly.
This week, Widing is playing in the US Open, his second major in a short time after winning his qualification. Ludvig Åberg and Alex Norén are also in the starting field in North Carolina.
+ The US Open, the third and penultimate major of the year, is being played on Pinehurst No 2 in North Carolina.
+ The last time the tournament was played on the same course was in 2014, when German Martin Kaymer won convincingly.
+ This year's US Open will feature world number four Wyndham Clark, USA, as the reigning champion.
+ The sky-high favourite is, however, world number one Scottie Scheffler, who has already won five tournaments this year, most recently The Memorial last week.
+ Ludvig Åberg is the big Swedish hope and is making his US Open debut after finishing second in the US Masters and missing the cut in the World Championship earlier this year.
+ The starting field also includes three-time champion Tiger Woods, who is playing in the US Open for the first time since 2020, and Adam Scott, the Australian who has not missed a single one of the last 92 major tournaments.
+ Blue and yellow start times on Thursday (Swedish time): 13.07: Tim Widing, 13.51: Ludvig Åberg, 20.09: Alex Norén.
