World No. 1 amateur Ludvig Aberg shares first round lead at Dubai Desert Classic

January 27, 2023 | by Jim Young of AmateurGolf.com

Ludvig Aberg

Texas Tech senior holds a one stroke lead over another world No. 1 - Rory McIlroy - in trying conditions at Emirates Golf Club

Finishing first in the PGA TOUR University fall rankings certainly has its advantages, as Ludvig Aberg is finding out.

His lofty status in PGA TOUR U. earned the world's top-ranked amateur a special exemption into the DP Tour's Hero Dubai Classic this weekend and after the first round, Aberg finds himself tied for the lead with Ian Poulter at 7-under par after both players carded rounds of 65 in trying conditions at the Emirates Golf Club.

Aberg offset an opening bogey with eight birdies en route to matching Poulter for a share of the first-round lead at 7-under, one clear of another world No. 1, Rory McIlroy, who sits one back after a round of 66.

Aberg has been ranked No. 1 in the PGA TOUR University rankings for 11 consecutive weeks. The Swede won the 2021 Jones Cup to solidify his position atop the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com world rankings. He is competing in his third DP World Tour event following appearances in the 2018 Nordea Masters and the 2021 Scandinavian Mixed. Aberg also made three starts on the PGA TOUR where he made the cut at the 2021 Butterfield Bermuda Challenge.

Last year, Texas A&M's Sam Bennett missed the cut by a single shot in Dubai before claiming the U.S. Amateur seven months later at Ridgewood Country Club.

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