It sounds like a meme waiting to happen. 

The bond between fellow Nordic golfers Viktor Hovland (Norway) and Ludvig Åberg (Sweden) has only blossomed since they were paired together during the 2023 Ryder Cup and dominated Americans Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka for the largest margin of victory in an 18-hole match on the Saturday of that competition. 

But their friendship extends beyond the golf course, and their conversations can be, well, out of this world. 

“He’s always into sort of the UFO deals and all those things, so it’s quite interesting,” Åberg said. “I’m not quite down that road just yet. If I hang out with him long enough, I might be. Again, you never really know where [the conversation is] going to go, which is quite interesting.”

The dynamic is part of what has made them such a successful Ryder Cup pair and why it’s widely expected that they’ll be partnered again come Friday’s start to the competition. 

And, by the sounds of it, that would be more than welcomed by the Swede. 

“We had a good time in Rome, and we’ve played multiple practice rounds since, and our caddies get along great, too. He’s a good friend to have on Tour and in the team room here,” he said.

Part of the magic is the familiarity not just with each other at this point, but with their ability to communicate with each other easily. 

“We speak the same language. We come from a very similar background. Obviously, he grew up in Norway, and Sweden are very close in terms of the cultural environment,” Åberg explained. 

Hovland did not speak with reporters on Wednesday at Bethpage Black, though he is slated to meet with the media Thursday before the final day of practice rounds. 

The two have not been part of the same practice pairings through the first three days on Long Island.