PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The Players Championship is Ludvig Åberg’s to lose.
Given his otherworldly talent at such a young age, being on the precipice of winning a tournament with the prestige of the Players is exactly the place he’s been expected to be for the past couple of years.
The 26-year-old Åberg has won just twice to date, the last being last year’s Genesis Invitational.
But a win at TPC Sawgrass in the “fifth major’’ would send him into a different stratosphere of stardom.
Åberg, who followed his second-round 63 with 71 on Saturday, will take a three-shot lead into Sunday’s final round.
“I didn’t play amazing, but I got a little bit out of it, which was nice,’’ Åberg said.
He said he’s unafraid of thinking about how big a win would be Sunday.
“I think about winning and what it would look like and what it would feel like,’’ Åberg said. “I’m trying to embrace it, being OK with all the things that come with it. Why wouldn’t we think of what it would mean to win? Winning here tomorrow would mean a lot to me.
“I’ll be nervous,’’ he conceded. “I’ve been nervous the last three days. It’s a part of it. It’ll be a challenge for sure sleeping on a lead at a place I really like and have a lot of family and friends. But that’s also what’s so fun.’’
Michael Thorbjornsen vaulted himself to 10-under and within three of Åberg with a 5-under-par 67.
Åberg and Thorbjornsen, who’ll be paired together in the final round, have played a lot of college golf together.
“Michael also lives here in the area and we play some golf together while we’re both home,’’ Åberg said. “When we were in college, it felt like we played every single tournament together. He’ll be coming in hot and I’m going to have to respond and play some good golf.’’
Thorbjornsen said he “loves’’ playing golf with Åberg.
“He was one of the guys in college that I looked up to, even though he’s only one year older than me,’’ he said. “Very solid player. I think his mental game is extremely good as well.’’
Cameron Young, the Westchester native who honed his game as a youngster at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, looked like he would be Åberg’s nearest competitor after he stuffed his tee shot to inside 2 feet for birdie on No. 17 to get to 11-under and three off the lead.
But Young then hit his tee shot on 18 into the water and took a double bogey to fall to 9-under, four shots back.
“Honestly, the tee shot wasn’t bad,’’ Young said. “I almost bent over to pick up the tee when I hit it. There’s a bunch of wind up there, and it just kept turning and turning and was a foot too much.’’
Matt Fitzpatrick was another player chasing Åberg for much of the afternoon until he also threw it away on the 18th hole.
He entered the 18th at 10-under, four shots behind the Swede, and doubled it to fall to 8-under.
Xander Schauffele, who hit all 14 fairways in his second round en route to shooting 65, failed to make any sort of move on moving day.
He began the day at 10-under par, two shots behind Åberg.
He struggled to a 2-over-par 74 to tumble to 8-under.
That’s where Justin Thomas, Brian Harman, Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners also stand, five shots behind Åberg.
Åberg missed the cut at the Players last year after finishing eighth in 2024 in his first try, now he has a chance to finish the job.
With Young having birdied 17 to get to 11-under, Åberg kept his three-shot lead (not knowing Young was in trouble on 18) intact when he made a clutch 6-footer for a par save on the 16th hole. It was his 138th consecutive hole without a three-putt.
He, however, ended that streak on the next hole, three-putting the 18th and making bogey to give one back to the chasers.
“The three-putt on 18 kind of stings and annoys me a little bit,’’ Åberg said. “But I started the day with a two-shot lead and ended with a three-shot lead, so that’s a positive.’’
The largest final-round deficit overcome to win a Players is five shots. Young, for one, believes he’s still right in it at four back.
“I don’t expect [Åberg] to give me much, but I also feel like could I shoot 8- or 9-under — like we saw with J.T. [Justin Thomas, shooting 62] last year,’’ he said. “I wouldn’t expect him to give me even one back, but I think those numbers are out there and there’s no reason why I can’t be the one to shoot them.’’
