SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As the calendar turned to 2023, Ludvig Aberg went on a tear. And he’s being recognized for his incredible season.
On Tuesday, Aberg was named winner of the 2023 Haskins Award presented by Stifel, which goes to the best male golfer in college golf. Aberg is the first Haskins winner from Texas Tech and the first Swedish player to win.
The winner of the Haskins Award is selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media and has been handed out annually since the 1971 season.
“It’s unbelievable,” Aberg said. “I’m just super lucky to be in this position. I’m super happy and just looking forward to the future.”
This year, Aberg received more votes than any winner in the history of the Haskins Award, and there were more total votes this year than ever.
Aberg’s senior year was special. He became the first male golfer in Big 12 history to win the conference title in back-to-back seasons. He also won the Norman Regional, making him the only player in Division I golf to win both a conference and regional title this season.
He claimed the Big 12 individual title at Prairie Dunes in Kansas by eight shots, shooting a tournament-record 15-under 265. He also had victories at the Valspar Collegiate and The Prestige. On the year, he had nine top-10 finishes.
“I’m super lucky to have my name on this trophy,” Aberg said. “This validates a lot of things, but I’m just getting started. That’s the fun part.”
The award is another impressive milestone for Aberg’s career. On Monday, he placed T-29 at the NCAA Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club, securing the top spot in the PGA Tour University standings and becoming the first collegiate player to automatically lock up a PGA Tour card thanks to his play in college. Aberg has a card through the 2024 season.
He’s currently the top-ranked amateur in the world, but he will make his professional debut next week at the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open.
“If there was ever a guy you could just add water and stir, it’s him,” Texas Tech coach Greg Sands said. “He’ll figure it out, and I really believe he’ll win a major. And I’d be surprised if he didn’t win more than one.”
While the Haskins Award is considered the Heisman Trophy of college golf, it is not the only award Aberg has won this year. He also won the Ben Hogan Award last Monday, becoming the second two-time winner there, joining Jon Rahm.
List of Haskins Award winners
2023 – Ludvig Aberg, Texas Tech
2022 – Chris Gotterup, Oklahoma
2021 – John Pak, Florida State
2020 – Sahith Theegala, Pepperdine
2019 – Matthew Wolff, Oklahoma State
2018 – Norman Xiong, Oregon
2017 – Braden Thornberry, Ole Miss
2016 – Beau Hossler, Texas
2015 – Maverick McNealy, Stanford
2014 – Patrick Rodgers, Stanford
2013 – Michael Kim, California
2012 – Justin Thomas, Alabama
2011 – Patrick Cantlay, UCLA
2010 – Russell Henley, Georgia
2009 – Matt Hill, North Carolina State
2008 – Kevin Chappell, UCLA
2007 – Jamie Lovemark, USC
2006 – Pablo Martin, Oklahoma State
2005 – Ryan Moore, UNLV
2004 – Bill Haas, Wake Forest
2003 – Hunter Mahan, Oklahoma State
2002 – Graeme McDowell, Alabama-Birmingham
2001 – Bryce Molder, Georgia Tech
2000 – Charles Howell III, Oklahoma State
1999 – Luke Donald, Northwestern
1998 – Matt Kuchar, Georgia Tech
1997 – Brad Elder, Texas
1996 – Tiger Woods, Stanford
1995 – Stewart Cink, Georgia Tech
1994 – Justin Leonard, Texas
1993 – David Duval, Georgia Tech
1992 – Phil Mickelson, Arizona State
1991 – Phil Mickelson, Arizona State
1990 – Phil Mickelson, Arizona State
1989 – Robert Gamez, Arizona
1988 – Bob Estes, Texas
1987 – Billy Mayfair, Arizona State
1986 – Scott Verplank, Oklahoma State
1985 – Sam Randolph, USC
1984 – John Inman, North Carolina
1983 – Brad Faxon, Furman
1982 – Willie Wood, Oklahoma State
1981 – Bob Tway, Oklahoma State
1980 – Bobby Clampett, BYU
1979 – Bobby Clampett, BYU
1978 – Lindy Miller, Oklahoma State
1977 – Scott Simpson, USC
1976 – Phil Hancock, Florida
1975 – Jay Haas, Wake Forest
1974 – Curtis Strange, Wake Forest
1973 – Ben Crenshaw, Texas
1972 – Ben Crenshaw, Texas
1971 – Ben Crenshaw, Texas
Story originally appeared on GolfWeek