SAN DIEGO — Ludvig Åberg shot a 9-under 63 Wednesday at what he calls his favorite course in the world, taking a two-shot lead over Danny Walker and Hayden Springer in the opening round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
Aberg took the lead for the first time in the first round on the PGA Tour after posting the best opening score of his short round. The 25-year-old Swede capitalized on the easy North Course at Torrey Pines, hitting 16 of 18 greens in regulation while making eight birdies and an eagle on the fairways.
“I like it when you hit a lot of drivers, and I feel like I did that a lot today, and maybe I’ll do the same tomorrow,” Aberg said. “(I like) any golf course if it looks like this, if you have ideas, and Torrey Pines is a really cool place.”
The 25-year-old Walker was dominant in his fourth PGA Tour start. He posted the best round of the opening day on the tough South Course, where the scoring average was 72.487 compared to 70.218 on the North.
Walker and Springer finished one shot ahead of Lanto Griffin, Zac Blair, 48-year-old Zach Johnson and 20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter — all of whom played the North Course.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, the top-ranked player in the field and winner of The Sentry in Kapalua, shot a 68 on the South Course.
Aberg, who finished ninth last year in his Torrey Pines debut, started the new season with a fifth-place finish in Maui after undergoing knee surgery last fall. After winning the rookie of the year award in 2023, he didn’t make it last year despite finishing six out of five, including runner-up finishes at the Masters, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the BMW Championship.
“I haven’t had any problems since the surgery, so it’s been great,” Aberg said. “I think Maui was a big test for that. I got blisters on my feet. That’s another story, but the knee has held up well. I’m looking forward to coming back and playing more tournaments. … I’m looking forward to some good golf.”
Walker, a rookie who earned his PGA Tour card on the Korn Ferry Tour, turned in a bogey-free round after missing his first cut of the season.
This prestigious tournament on the north coast of San Diego has fewer stars than usual in its field this year. Collin Morikawa withdrew on Sunday, and Will Zalatoris pulled out of the event on Wednesday morning.
The Farmers Insurance Open starts on Wednesday and ends on Saturday to avoid a final round conflict with the NFL conference championship games.
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