Rory McIlroy had high hopes of successfully defending his championship at The Players this year. Unfortunately, with things turning out in a pretty adverse manner for the former world number 1, he is currently tottering at the bottom half of the standings. As the final stretch begins, he will try his best to come back into contention. But before that, McIlroy is pretty surprised due to his Ryder Cup teammate, Ludwig Aberg. 

“He’s pretty unflappable. He’s so laid-back, like, ridiculously laid-back, which is a really good thing, especially in environments like the Ryder Cup,” said McIlroy during one of his media interactions at the TPC Sawgrass. 

Well, there are some strong reasons for the Northern Irish star to admire Aberg’s style of play. One of the biggest plus points of his game, according to McIlroy, is his pace. Playing with a lot of freedom, the Swedish star capitalizes on his strong swing to get the work done. 

Another important aspect of his game is his laid-back attitude. As correctly mentioned by the reigning Masters champion, Aberg is always seen smiling on the greens. Without taking too much stress, the 26-year-old enjoys playing golf to the fullest. Additionally, he also has a great rapport with his caddie Joe, which, according to McIlroy, is an important factor for success.

Sure enough, the Northern Irish star was bang on with his analysis. Currently, with just the final day of the tournament remaining, the Swedish star will walk in with a three-shot lead over the others. Following a one-under 71 earned him a 13 overall, the last stretch promises to be a banger. 

Coming back to McIlroy, he once again made his admiration for his fellow Ryder Cup partner clear as he said, “I think at 36 and sort of having a 17, 18-year career it’s easy to be a bit more laid back than it is when you’re 26. He’s only really three years into his pro career. I certainly wasn’t as laid back at that point as he is, but it is very admirable.”

Meanwhile, with injury clouding his Players’ performance, the former world number 1 had a strong argument against the TGL theories. 

Rory McIlroy dismisses TGL injury claims amid back spasms concerns

Rory McIlroy, who is now struggling to climb up in the leaderboard of the Players Championship and is currently tied for 49th, had to abruptly withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He cited back spasms as the reason behind the same. Notably, Collin Morikawa, too, injured himself. 

After the golfers who are a part of the tech league were forced to take a step back from events owing to back injuries, several fans started putting the blame on the tech league. However, the matter did not sit well with Rory.

“It’s a little more travel for the guys, a little more. To put it [injuries] solely on that is preposterous. No,” said McIlroy to put an end to the continuous debate around TGL being the reason behind the increased rate of back issues among golfers. 

He further added, “My ball speed on Tour is way faster than it is in TGL.”

While the TGL schedule tries to avoid a clash with PGA Tour events, several golfers have often been required to travel back-and-forth in a short span of time. The tech league also often demands harder swings, which, according to critics, might be the reason behind persistent back ailments.