Danish Delight Nicolai Højgaard

Thirty four days before his 21st birthday, Nicolai Højgaard cemented his spot as one of Europe’s most talented prospects by picking up his second DP World Tour title at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club.

The victory - his second in just ten starts following his maiden triumph at the DS Automobiles Italian Open - was made even more impressive by the way he overpowered the course with his phenomenal driving.

To see the young Dane drive the 372 yard par four first by opening up his shoulders and letting the ball carry all the way to the green was mind blowing. He was a good 40 yards longer than many players in the field all week, sometimes a great deal more.

To be able to attack pins with a wedge while his playing partners, like David Law, required two more clubs was not only a huge advantage, but must have been demoralising for the Scotsman.

Law is no pee wee off the tee and averaged close to 300 yards, but Højgaard was just playing a different course.

Højgaard returns to the scene of that memorable triumph this month as he bids to defend his title in the northernmost emirate and join his twin Rasmus on three DP World Tour victories.

“It was a special week and I’m really looking forward to getting back and seeing the course,” said Højgaard.

“From when we first got there to how the week was evolving, I started playing some good golf and my driving was probably what made the main difference that week. On the key holes I drove it really well.

“When I returned to defend my title in Italy it was pretty cool. I went out there knowing I had already played well on the course before and that showed in my game for most of the week, so I don’t think there is more pressure as such.

“You get good memories every time you’re on a certain tee box or hitting an approach shot as you know you’ve been in this position before and executed it well. It’s different returning to a course where you’ve won but in a cool way.”

With Højgaard renowned for bombing it and driving par fours for fun all week at Al Hamra Golf Club, we asked him what his best bit of advice would be to anyone looking to gain distance off the tee?

“The first would be to try and hit the ball in the middle of the face,” he said.

“Before you start striking the ball harder it is pivotal you learn to hit from the middle of the face as the ball will go longer by doing this without trying to bomb every drive. A balanced swing is also very important. I see some players try and get everything out of their drive and end up hitting it from the heel and the toe and they can’t really stand on their feet. If you combine a good base with hitting it from the middle of face, you’re on your way to a good drive.”

Long before that victory in Ras Al Khaimah both Nicolai and Rasmus had starting making quite a name for themselves.

The duo created Danish history in 2018 when representing the national team that won the Eisenhower Trophy for the first time, before going on to represent Europe at the Junior Ryder Cup later that month.

History beckoned again three years later with Nicolai’s triumph at the DS Automobiles Italian Open coming the week after Rasmus was victorious at the Omega European Masters with The Højgaards becoming the first brothers to win in back-to-back weeks on the DP World Tour.

In regards to bragging rights, Rasmus currently holds the advantage with three DP

World Tour wins to Nicolai’s two, so what is it like to follow an almost identical journey into professional golf?

“Rasmus and I are best friends without a doubt, nobody can get close to what we have which is very cool for the both of us,” he said.

“We’ve had fights and arguments over the years where we don’t want to talk to each other, but in the end we support and push one another and that’s probably why we’re both at the level we’re at today. We try and have our own career but we are a product when we are together and I think we have to use that to our advantage. It’s pretty cool to have a twin to experience this golfing journey with.”

The duo will go head-to-head once again at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship this month alongside another Danish superstar in the form of 2018 Ryder Cup winning Captain Thomas Bjørn.

The 51-year-old has a wealth of experience in the game having won 15 DP World Tour titles – including two in the Middle East – as well as leaiding Team Europe to an emphatic Ryder Cup victory at Le Golf National in 2018. He also served as Vice Captain on multiple occasions in the biennial showpiece and held the position of Chairman on the Tour’s Tournament Committee for a decade before becoming a member of the Board of Directors.

When Bjørn says something you listen keenly, so before interviewing Nicolai I remembered a few interesting things that Bjørn himself had told to me when we caught up at Emirates Golf Club last year.

“They both have all the talent in the world, I’m talking about them being Major champions, reaching World No.1 and playing in the Ryder Cup,” said the 51-year-old veteran.

Danish bias aside, these were strong words from arguably one of the greatest European players to play the game – what would Nicolai make of them?

“Yes, I believe I can be World No.1,” said Højgaard confidently.

“It’s a bold statement and not something I would normally say wide open in public, but there is a long way to go from saying to actually doing it; it’s many years in the making. We’re building on bricks all the time but hopefully one day we will get there.

“I really respect Thomas, we spend a lot of time with him and he’s been like a mentor to us, so for him to say something like that, with the players he has been around over his career, it means a lot.

“Having said that, it also puts a degree of pressure on us – we have a certain level now and talent but it requires a lot of hard work to take it to the next level – that’s on us.”

The pressure on the twins is perhaps even greater this year with Europe looking to reclaim the Ryder Cup after a devastating loss to their American counterparts at Whistling Straits in 2021. With Ryder Cup stalwarts Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey all defecting to LIV Golf and set to miss out on this year’s edition for the first time in decades, faith will be shown in the next generation of European talent and the Højgaard twins are at the forefront of that.

At last month’s inaugural Hero Cup at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Nicolai was a late replacement for Rasmus and he seized his opportunity with both hands, winning 3.5 points from a possible four as he forged a great partnership with Francesco Molinari across four-balls and foursomes over the opening two days.

His unbeaten record coupled with his win at on this year’s Ryder Cup venue, Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in 2021, will have served as notice of what he could potentially bring to Europe in Italy.

“I love the team format in golf,” he said.

“I used to play a lot of team sports when I was younger and it’s about playing for more than just yourself which is quite special and brings some magic out in everybody.

“Making Luke Donald’s team for the Ryder Cup is definitely up there in my priorities this season. We all want to be on that plane to Rome and bring the Ryder Cup back to Europe. My main focus is to get better this season which will mean qualification will take care of itself. There’s a lot of golf to be played this season so it’s about doing your job over the coming months to play your way into the team.”