Golf Needs Its Joe Burrow and It Might Just Be Ludvig Aberg

I recognized the potential well before he was putting up MVP-caliber numbers. America’s NFL boyfriend, Joe Burrow, has been a baddie ever since he took the field on his senior night at LSU sporting a clever, and rather thoughtful “Burreaux” jersey in front of an adoring Baton Rouge crowd.

And then came the cigar pictures after the national championship game that gave him a million aura points—making him a legend before he even threw his first pass in the league.

Beyond his celebratory stoogie tradition, Burrow has created a mystique around his off-field personality, mainly due to his masterfully evasive media skills—but also through bold pre-game fit choices and varying hairstyles (headband Joe reigns supreme). You never know what you’re going to get from the Cincinnati QB—which is exactly why we tune in. Girls love him, guys want to be him, and no matter who your team is, you hate that you root for him because he’s just that damn charming.

I can’t scroll through my timelines without seeing some kind of post dedicated to Joe Burrow, even during the off season (my algorithm, my rules, okay?). And sure women thirsting after another attractive athlete isn’t necessarily the “important” viewership metric, but Burrow has remained one of the top-selling jerseys since his 2021-2022 Super Bowl run.

My point is—having an “it boy”, or two, across sports is essential to the world turning ‘round. Social media and marketing teams have cracked the code. Posting your most beloved player is the engagement cheat code—and it’s been quite a while since golf has had one of those—an it boy.

Listen, Tiger will always be Tiger. In my mind, Woods and Carl Howard (Chi Chi Rodrigez’s 1975 Masters caddie…you KNOW the photo) are like the OG golf baddies. Throw in Adam Scott and maybe Rory (definitely when he got ripped), but golf has been in a hot guy drought…until now.

I mean, I had noticed it before, but Tuesday night really sealed the deal for me—Ludvig Aberg just might be golf’s latest resident pretty boy. The amount of tweets, comments, and texts I saw of people fully enamored by the 25-year-old Swedish golfer was both astonishing and amusing, and I had no choice but to silently retweet and co-sign.

He has this shy boy aura to him, but there were moments throughout the TGL Broadcast where I saw glimpses of his mild, yet playful confidence. I mean we all know how remarkably stunning his golf swing is, but when the guy flashes a smile, it’s kind of ridiculous how one person can possess so many positive qualities (did I mention that he's also 6’3???).

His fellow TOUR mates joke that he’s practically robotic, AI even, which honestly makes sense. That full head of hair and normal sized forehead underneath the golf hat only adds to the lore—he’s almost too perfect.

I don’t anticipate that we’ll get Joey B-level outfits from Aberg, but as the TGL season progresses, the opportunities to see his personality will eventually shine through. And maybe, just maybe that will translate to the TOUR.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed and remaining hopeful that golf will have an it-boy for the seasoned fans, new fans, and soon-to-be fans to fawn over and root for, for no further reason than, “just because”.