Coming of age

LUDVIG ABERG

Not long ago, JJ Spaun was considering giving up professional golf. Now, he’s a Major Champion set to make a Ryder Cup debut at 35 years of age

RICHARD BLAND

JACK NICKLAUS

Rory McIlroy is Europe’s top-ranked player heading into the Ryder Cup. Can he be a talisman once again, and has he now established himself as the best male player the continent has ever produced?

Luke Donald raised an eyebrow or two when he picked fledgling pro Ludvig Aberg last time, but his well-researched hunch paid dividends. Here, we look back with the Swede on his rapid rise to Ryder Cup glory…