Ludvig Åberg Clinches Genesis Invitational

Ludvig Åberg secured a dramatic win at the Genesis Invitational, birdieing four of his last six holes to edge out Maverick McNealy by a single shot. Scottie Scheffler finished in third place after a final-round 66 at Torrey Pines, while Rory McIlroy ended tied-17th.

Åberg entered the final round three shots behind and seemed out of contention as McNealy surged up the leaderboard with nine birdies in his first 13 holes. However, a bogey at the 14th stalled McNealy's momentum, and he was unable to find further birdies, posting a final-round 64 to set a clubhouse target of 11 under.

Meanwhile, Åberg staged a remarkable comeback, pulling level with three consecutive birdies from the 13th. After missing a birdie opportunity from inside ten feet at the 17th, he kept his composure at the par-five last, finding the green in two and two-putting for a winning birdie. His final-round 66 saw him finish on 12 under, securing his second PGA Tour title.

World number one Scottie Scheffler, playing alongside McIlroy, finished tied-third with overnight leader Patrick Rodgers after an impressive round featuring two chip-in birdies. Rodgers, who had led overnight, struggled on the back nine and slipped down the leaderboard with back-to-back bogeys.

England's Tommy Fleetwood finished tied-fifth on eight under, alongside Tony Finau and Denny McCarthy. McIlroy, whose title challenge faded after an early bogey, endured a frustrating day on the greens, ultimately signing off with a level-par 72.

Åberg's win marks the fourth European victory in five weeks on the PGA Tour, following triumphs by Sepp Straka, McIlroy, and Thomas Detry. His success is also set to propel him into the world's top four rankings.

Reflecting on his victory, Åberg said: "It was awesome. It was a great fight. The course was tough, but I felt in control of my game all day. I'm really proud of how I finished. It was really cool."

Speaking about his crucial par save on the 12th, he added: "That putt was big because I knew the lead was at 12 under. Making that putt kept me in it, and then I managed to find a few birdies. Coming down the last few holes trying to win a tournament is such a special feeling."

McNealy, who came agonisingly close to his second PGA Tour win, remained upbeat: "To finish second is more than I could have hoped for at the start of the day. I got on a roll early, and there were some great pin positions to attack. I tried to keep it going as long as I could. Ludvig played awesome."

The PGA Tour now heads to Mexico for the Mexico Open at Vidanta, with coverage beginning on Thursday afternoon.