SAN DIEGO — Ludvig Aberg delivered an impressive performance by shooting a 9-under 63 on Wednesday, establishing a two-shot lead over Danny Walker and Hayden Springer during the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, a venue he describes as his favorite place in the world.
This marks Aberg’s inaugural lead after a first round on the PGA Tour, as he achieved the best opening round score of his budding career. The 25-year-old Swede took full advantage of the North Course at Torrey Pines, hitting 16 out of 18 greens in regulation while making an impressive eight birdies and one eagle on the scenic course.
“I enjoy hitting a lot of drivers, and I felt like I did that effectively today, and I’m likely to do the same tomorrow,” Aberg noted. “Any golf venue that looks like this, especially with these views, is special for me. Torrey Pines is a truly remarkable place.”
Danny Walker, also 25, put on a stellar display in just his fourth career PGA Tour start, achieving the best score of the day on the more challenging South Course, where the average score was significantly higher than that of the North Course.
He and Springer ended the round one shot ahead of Lanto Griffin, Zac Blair, veteran Zach Johnson, and Aldrich Potgieter, who is just 20 years old, all of whom played on the North Course.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, who is the top-ranked player participating in this tournament and a recent champion at The Sentry in Kapalua, finished with a score of 68 on the South Course.
Aberg, who made an impressive ninth-place finish in his debut at Torrey Pines last year, began this season with a fifth-place finish in Maui after recovering from knee surgery last fall. Despite winning the PGA Tour’s rookie of the year award in 2023, he didn’t secure a victory in his first year, although he accumulated six top-five finishes, including second places at the Masters, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and the BMW Championship.
While some of the top players are absent from Torrey Pines this week, Aberg was eager to hit the beautiful coastal course, stating earlier this week that San Diego is “my favorite place in the world.”
He also expressed a desire for the Genesis Invitational to be held at Torrey Pines in three weeks, as the tournament is poised to announce its 2025 location shortly after moving from Riviera Country Club due to devastating wildfires that affected the Pacific Palisades area near the renowned course.
“I haven’t encountered any issues since my surgery, which feels great,” Aberg remarked. “I believe Maui served as the ultimate test for my recovery. I had some blisters on my feet—that’s a separate matter—but my knee held up very well. I’m excited about returning and playing in many tournaments. I’m eager for a nice stretch of golf.”
Walker, the rookie who secured his PGA Tour card via the Korn Ferry Tour, delivered a flawless round without any bogeys after struggling in his first two cuts of the season.
Zach Johnson, a previous major champion, has not tasted victory on tour since the 2015 British Open at St. Andrews, yet he kicked off the tournament positively after receiving a sponsor’s exemption.
Defending champion Matthieu Pavon, however, opened with a 73 on the challenging South Course.
This year’s Farmers Insurance Open features a diminished star field compared to previous years. World No. 2 and local favorite Xander Schauffele chose not to compete, while fifth-ranked Collin Morikawa pulled out on Sunday, followed by former runner-up at Torrey Pines, Will Zalatoris, who withdrew early Wednesday.
The tournament, traditionally held over a typical four days, began on a Wednesday and will conclude on Saturday to avoid clashes with the NFL’s conference championship games.
