Vincent Norrman: Breakout Golfers to Watch 2024
Welcome to “Breakout Golfers to Watch,” our miniseries showcasing some of the hottest up-and-coming talent in golf. From Ludvig Aberg to Rose Zhang, it’s always entertaining to be in the know about “who’s next.” Sweden’s Vincent Norrman is third on our list, following 2024 PGA Tour rookie Chan Kim and LPGA rookie Gabriela Ruffels.
Vincent Norrman
Age: 25
Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
College: Georgia Southwestern State University, Florida State University
Notable Accomplishments: Won 2023 Irish Open, 2023 Barbasol Championship
Why He’s a Breakout Candidate for 2024: Ludvig Aberg, the European Ryder Cup rookie and former world No. 1 amateur, has stolen the spotlight as the Scandinavian to watch in 2024. But keep a close eye on his new roommate, Vincent Norrman, a fellow up-and-coming Swede on the PGA Tour. (The pair are living together in Tallahassee, Fla., where Norrman went to school as a fifth-year senior).
Norrman, 25, has already captured two key professional wins. In July, he won the Barbasol Championship in a sudden-death playoff, beating Nathan Kimsey on the first extra hole. The victory gave him exempt status on the PGA Tour until 2025, in addition to invitations to the Players Championship and the PGA Championship.
A few months later Norrman did it again, this time in Europe at the prestigious Irish Open, where he took advantage of Rory McIlroy’s final-round collapse with a Sunday 67. In addition to Norrman’s clear ability to win at the highest level, he also has the statistics and competitive experience to maintain a long and successful career. He’s currently up for the 2023 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award, along with Aberg, Eric Cole and Nico Echavarria.
Norrman’s strength is in his long game. He consistently drives the ball very far and very straight, a combination that has proven to be deadly (Example A: Aberg). With just 29 career starts on the PGA Tour, Norrman is ranked 23rd in strokes-gained off the tee and ninth in driving distance. He averaged 314 yards off the tee in 2023, which beat the likes of Jon Rahm, Gary Woodland and Wyndham Clark, to name a few. Norrman grew up playing competitive hockey, which explains the source his natural power.
Vincent Norrman has flown under the radar, but all signs point to the young Swede having another successful year.
Brian Lawless/PA Images via Getty Images
Before transferring to Florida State for his fifth year, Norrman played four years at Georgia Southwestern, a D-II program that couldn’t get its hands on top American recruits. When Norrman arrived in Americus, Ga., he barely spoke English. By the end of his career at GSW, he had racked up seven individual wins, including five during his senior season. Seeking a school that could help prepare him for pro-level competition, he made the pivot to FSU—Brooks Koepka’s alma mater. By then, Norrman’s game had fully taken off: He was ranked inside the top 50 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and played in the 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup. In his one year as a Seminole, Norrman helped the team reach match play at the D-I national championship.
If Norrman’s trajectory heading into his second season on the PGA Tour turns out to be anything like his rise over the past four years, the pro game should brace itself for a full Scandinavian takeover.
In 2023, we named Alexa Pano, Sahith Theegala, Chris Gotterup, Justin Suh and Cameron Young as names to keep an eye out for. Pano and Theegala clinched their first professional victories, Gotterup earned his 2024 PGA Tour card, Suh climbed into the top 70 in the world and Young posted five top 10s on Tour. Stay tuned to see how our 2024 picks perform in the new year.