“Almost pinched myself in the arm” - Ludvig Aberg on making his BMW PGA Championship debut alongside Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland

Ludvig Aberg is having the time of his life at the BMW PGA Championship.

The golfer made his debut on the DP World Tour flagship event alongside Ryder Cup teammates Viktor Hovland and Rory McIlroy on Thursday. Opening up on the experience, the 23-year-old Swede noted that he “almost pinched” himself in the arm.

Aberg teed off alongside Hovland and McIlroy at Wentworth Club and couldn’t believe it. Emphasizing the scale of the event, the young golfer noted that he isn’t used to such large crowds following him. However, the Ryder Cup-bound prodigy stated that he was ‘proud’ of the way he handled the situation.

Speaking in his post-round interview, Ludvig Aberg said, as quoted by the DP World Tour:

"It was great. A little bit more people than I'm used to following me around. It was really fun playing with those two guys. Obviously, the level of golf that they can do is pretty amazing and for me to watch that is pretty cool.

"I was kind of walking around and then almost pinched myself in the arm on the fairways but really enjoyed it and proud of the way I handled it today."

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Viktor Hovland on Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Aberg

The young golfer, who only turned pro in June, carded a four-under-par 68 in the opening round.

Aberg made five birdies in a row from the 11th to fly up the leaderboard and challenge the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick and Marcus Helligkilde for the lead. He made big headlines with the score as McIlroy struggled to a level-par 72.

It is noteworthy that Ludvig Aberg is set to make his Ryder Cup debut in Italy later this month. He will once again join the likes of Hovland and McIlroy at the greens in Marco Simeone.

Much like Aberg, Hovland also seems excited to play with the young Swede in the same team. The 25-year-old golfer, who is vastly more experienced, said that the huge crowds at Wentworth this week will help Aberg in Rome.

Speaking about Ludvig Aberg at the BMW PGA Championship, Viktor Hovland said:

"I think it's a good experience for him. 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. So I think it's just a great experience for him but I think he's ready regardless. Ludvig was certainly on a heater mid-round and the crowd was loving it.”

The Norwegian’s high praise for Aberg was well deserved as the young golfer played a strong round. The Swede looked in control of his game despite some hiccups. He made a tee-shot out of bounds on the 17th which saw him fall back, but he made up with a two-putt birdie on the last.