Ludwig Oberg thinks a lot about winning.
On Sunday, two-time PGA Tour winner Ryder Copper will have a chance to win the biggest title of his career to date at the 2026 Players Championship with a three-stroke lead.
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This is the largest 54-hole lead at The Players since 2018, when Webb Simpson led by seven strokes to win by four.
The 26-year-old Swede is not afraid of what-ifs and embraces them. While some might avoid thinking about the next round and what a win like The Players might mean for their career, he’s thinking about what it’s going to be like and what it’s going to feel like. He’s been doing it since his days as a student at Texas Tech University.
“I think I’m trying to accept it,” Oberg said in Saturday’s post-round press conference. “I try to be okay with everything that comes with it, that’s why we play golf.
“We spend so much time practicing, playing, training, preparing, so why don’t we think about what winning actually means? So obviously I’m going to do that tonight. But will it change anything for me tomorrow? I don’t think so.”
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On Saturday, Oberg left some shots on the course, but so did everyone who contested.
It was a great day at TPC Sawgrass. The wind was light and the course played soft in some places. Still, no one could quite figure it out. To find a bogey-free round among players in the top 20, you’ll have to go all the way to Sudarshan Yelamaraju at T-19, followed by world No. 1. Scotty Scheffler At T-26.
Oberg fell behind with an early bogey, but gained momentum with a birdie on the 9th and an eagle on the 11th. It looked like he might be able to pick up one or two more shots on the back nine, but he sank a three-putt on the 18th hole and ended the round with an unsatisfying result.
“Three-putts on 18 different fasts are a little frustrating, but overall I started the day with a two-stroke lead and finished with a three-stroke lead, so that’s definitely a positive,” Oberg said. “It’s all about execution. If you don’t execute, you get punished. That’s the fun way to play golf.”
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Oberg is an unflinching guy who enjoys golf and plays it well. But tomorrow he will be nervous. He has been nervous for the past three days.
“I was nervous every time I stepped on the 17th tee box,” Oberg said of Sawgrass’ infamous island green. “So I think that’s part of it. I think anyone who says they’re not nervous is really not being true to themselves.”
Oberg says there are several ways to tell when you’re nervous. He talks really fast, speaks fast, breathes fast, gets excited. So when he finds himself, which he does when he is in a “good mental state,” he slows things down. He walks slowly and speaks slowly. Caddy Joe Skovron slows down with him. This method has worked well for the Ryder Cup and other big events.
One thing that may help Oberg on Sunday is familiarity with the course and Michael Thorbjornsen, who he will be paired with in the final round.
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Oberg may be playing from his hometown of Eslov, Sweden, but he lives in Ponte Vedra, Florida. He practices at Sawgrass year-round and knows the Stadium Course well. As for where he would live after leaving Texas Tech in 2023, Ponte Vedra was a “pretty easy decision.”
Fortunately, Thorbjornsen, who sits at 10 under after shooting a 5-under 67, lives about 15 minutes from Sawgrass itself. His relationship with “Rudd” goes back to junior golf. During their college days, Thorbjornsen respected Oberg even though Oberg was only one year older. Now we see each other on the course and in the locker room. The two have played both Sawgrass courses together.
“I love playing golf with him,” Thorbjornsen said when informed of the possibility of pairing them together. Oberg, on the other hand, was already talking to Skovron before the round ended – “Looks like I’ll be playing with Michael tomorrow, it’ll be fun.”
If Thorbjornsen can upset his practice mates and pull off a come-from-behind victory, he will be able to claim his first PGA Tour victory and earn bragging rights.
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Whichever player wins will earn a spot in the PGA Tour University Program, which is designed to bridge the gap between the college and professional games. Oberg (2023) and Thorbjornsen (2024) earned their tour cards by finishing first in their respective PGA Tour college classes.
While they play against each other, they also have to fend off an All-Star leaderboard that could close the gap. Cameron Young is alone in third place at 9 under, followed by a 6-pack at 8 under and owns six majors, with one win for The Players during that time. That group consists of Matt Fitzpatrick, Brian Herman, Viktor Hovland, Justin Thomas, Corey Connors, and Xander Schauffele.
“If you keep putting yourself in that position, you’ll get there eventually,” Thorbjornsen said. “So I think the real No. 1 goal for all of us players here is to get a chance on Sunday or be in contention on the back nine. No matter how the card falls, that’s what it is.”
