CNN
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When Nicolai Højgaard touched down in Rome for the Italian Open final September, he discovered himself mobbed by followers congratulating him on his victory on the European Masters in Switzerland per week prior.
A flurry of high-fives and fist-bumps painted a healthful scene, but there was one small drawback with the image: Nicolai had by no means received on the DP World Tour.
In actual fact, after taking a while off, he had not even performed the occasion at Crans-sur-Sierre the previous week. His brother Rasmus had although, and performed very effectively certainly, securing a one-shot victory.
Welcome to life on Tour because the equivalent Højgaard twins, the 21-year-old rising stars of Danish golf.
“Not many individuals can inform us aside, so most likely 50 individuals got here as much as him … that was powerful on him,” Rasmus advised CNN’s Jasmine Saunders, AKA The Jazzy Golfer.
Days later, congratulations as soon as once more poured in for Nicolai, however this time there was no case of mistaken identification.
Enjoying through a last-minute invite to the occasion, a one-stroke triumph at Marco Simone Golf Membership secured him his maiden European Tour win and wrote the Højgaard title into the historical past books as the primary brothers to win back-to-back Tour occasions.
“It’s fairly wonderful that we didn’t discover it immediately till we really obtained requested questions on it,” Nicolai stated of the feat.
“It’s a particular achievement and hopefully we are able to do it once more sooner or later.”
Did the fist-bump fiasco mild a hearth underneath Nicolai forward of the event? His twin, who completed 18th in Rome, definitely thinks it did.
“A hundred percent, I’d use it as gasoline as effectively,” Rasmus stated.
“I believe he was positively motivated, he actually needed to get that win … then we obtained to share that collectively.”
With Rasmus already having two Tour wins underneath his belt, on the Mauritius Open and UK Championship, Nicolai had the added motivation of creating up floor on his twin.
Whereas Rasmus was clinching his second win in August 2020, Nicolai was enduring a troublesome marketing campaign that noticed him end no greater than sixteenth all season.
Capturing his second Tour title on the UAE’s Ras al Khaimah Championship in February, Nicolai nonetheless trails Rasmus by one win however, extremely, sits only a single world rating place above his brother at No. 119. The duo are the 2 highest ranked Danish golfers, with Marcus Helligkilde and Thorbjorn Olesen the one different compatriots contained in the top-200.
“He obtained them [wins] fairly quick and we’ve had some good competitors occurring, so it was good to get a pair again on him,” Nicolai stated.
But whereas they share a wholesome rivalry, it’s the emotional help that kinds the guts of the duo’s touring relationship. Whether or not it’s having a observe associate or just having somebody to go to dinner with, the Højgaards are taking advantage of their closeness.
“We clearly knew in some unspecified time in the future we’re going to go in numerous methods however in the meanwhile we’re nonetheless on the identical path so we are able to journey collectively,” Rasmus stated.
“We share one another’s expertise from successful and hard moments. I discovered lots from Nicolai as a result of he was struggling fairly a bit in 2020 whereas I used to be taking part in excellent. I knew that was powerful on him, however he obtained previous that and we’ve spoken lots about it.
“There’s positively a whole lot of issues I can take from that, and it’s good to share all the great and hard moments collectively.”
With 4 occasions to play till November’s season closing Tour Championship in Dubai, Nicolai is searching for to affix his twin on three wins, whereas Rasmus hopes to show the shape wanted to safe one in every of 10 PGA Tour playing cards up for grabs subsequent yr.
But each siblings are united in a standard aim: to play the 2023 Ryder Cup.
After being postponed two years in the past as a result of pandemic, the long-lasting biennial competitors returns subsequent September at a venue very fond to at least one Højgaard twin, Rome’s Marco Simone membership.
And with Danish {golfing} icon Thomas Bjørn, a 15-time European Tour champion, vice-captaining Group Europe, the twins are itching to make the 12-player crew. Six gamers robotically qualify through a rating factors system, with the remaining half picked by captain Luke Donald.
“There’s a protracted strategy to go and there’s a whole lot of golf to be performed, so it’s straightforward to get too far forward (however) there’s a whole lot of work to be performed,” Nicolai stated.
“I believe I’ve obtained a superb likelihood if I hold specializing in the suitable issues and do the suitable work, so it’s positively an enormous aim of mine.”
“Particularly having Thomas as a vice-captain,” Rasmus added. “Nic and I’ve a superb relationship with him, he clearly needs us on the crew as effectively.
“That might be a cool expertise to share with Nicolai as effectively, perhaps play a foursome collectively.”