{"id":5730,"date":"2022-10-13T09:08:28","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T09:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/the-hojgaard-twins-mistaken-identity-and-making-history\/"},"modified":"2022-10-13T09:08:28","modified_gmt":"2022-10-13T09:08:28","slug":"the-hojgaard-twins-mistaken-identity-and-making-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/?p=5730","title":{"rendered":"The H\u00f8jgaard twins: Mistaken identity and making history"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n When Nicolai H\u00f8jgaard touched down in Rome for the Italian Open last September, he found himself mobbed by fans congratulating him on his victory at the European Masters in Switzerland a week prior.\n <\/p>\n
\n A flurry of high-fives and fist-bumps painted a wholesome scene, yet there was one small problem with the picture: Nicolai had never won on the DP World Tour.\n <\/p>\n
\n In fact, after taking some time off, he had not even played the event at Crans-sur-Sierre the preceding week. His brother Rasmus had though, and played very well indeed, securing a one-shot victory.\n <\/p>\n
\n Welcome to life on Tour as the identical H\u00f8jgaard twins, the 21-year-old rising stars of Danish golf.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cNot many people can tell us apart, so probably 50 people came up to him \u2026 that was tough on him,\u201d Rasmus told CNN\u2019s Jasmine Saunders, AKA The Jazzy Golfer.\n <\/p>\n
\n Days later, congratulations once again poured in for Nicolai, but this time there was no case of mistaken identity.\n <\/p>\n
\n Playing via a last-minute invite to the event, a one-stroke triumph at Marco Simone Golf Club secured him his maiden European Tour win and wrote the H\u00f8jgaard name into the history books as the first brothers to win back-to-back Tour events.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt\u2019s quite amazing that we didn\u2019t notice it straight away until we actually got asked questions about it,\u201d Nicolai said of the feat.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt\u2019s a special achievement and hopefully we can do it again in the future.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Did the fist-bump fiasco light a fire under Nicolai ahead of the tournament? His twin, who finished 18th in Rome, certainly thinks it did.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cOne hundred percent, I would use it as fuel as well,\u201d Rasmus said.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI think he was definitely motivated, he really wanted to get that win \u2026 then we got to share that together.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n With Rasmus already having two Tour wins under his belt, at the Mauritius Open and UK Championship, Nicolai had the added motivation of making up ground on his twin.\n <\/p>\n
\n While Rasmus was clinching his second win in August 2020, Nicolai was enduring a difficult campaign that saw him finish no higher than 16th all season.\n <\/p>\n
\n Capturing his second Tour title at the UAE\u2019s Ras al Khaimah Championship in February, Nicolai still trails Rasmus by one win but, incredibly, sits just a single world ranking place above his brother at No. 119. The duo are the two highest ranked Danish golfers, with Marcus Helligkilde and Thorbjorn Olesen the only other compatriots inside the top-200.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cHe got them [wins] quite fast and we\u2019ve had some good competition going on, so it was good to get a couple back on him,\u201d Nicolai said.\n <\/p>\n
\n Yet while they share a healthy rivalry, it\u2019s the emotional support that forms the heart of the duo\u2019s touring relationship. Whether it\u2019s having a practice partner or simply having someone to go to dinner with, the H\u00f8jgaards are making the most of their closeness.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe obviously knew at some point we\u2019re going to go in different ways but at the moment we\u2019re still on the same path so we can travel together,\u201d Rasmus said.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe share each other\u2019s experience from winning and tough moments. I learned a lot from Nicolai because he was struggling quite a bit in 2020 while I was playing very good. I knew that was tough on him, but he got past that and we\u2019ve spoken a lot about it.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cThere\u2019s definitely a lot of things I can take from that, and it\u2019s nice to share all the good and tough moments together.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n With four events to play until November\u2019s season closing Tour Championship in Dubai, Nicolai is seeking to join his twin on three wins, while Rasmus hopes to display the form needed to secure one of 10 PGA Tour cards up for grabs next year.\n <\/p>\n
\n Yet both siblings are united in a common goal: to play the 2023 Ryder Cup.\n <\/p>\n
\n After being postponed two years ago due to the pandemic, the iconic biennial competition returns next September at a venue very fond to one H\u00f8jgaard twin, Rome\u2019s Marco Simone club.\n <\/p>\n
\n And with Danish golfing icon Thomas Bj\u00f8rn, a 15-time European Tour champion, vice-captaining Team Europe, the twins are itching to make the 12-player team. Six players automatically qualify via a ranking points system, with the remaining half picked by captain Luke Donald.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cThere\u2019s a long way to go and there\u2019s a lot of golf to be played, so it\u2019s easy to get too far ahead (but) there\u2019s a lot of work to be done,\u201d Nicolai said.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI think I\u2019ve got a good chance if I keep focusing on the right things and do the right work, so it\u2019s definitely a big goal of mine.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cEspecially having Thomas as a vice-captain,\u201d Rasmus added. \u201cNic and I have a good relationship with him, he obviously wants us on the team as well.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cThat would be a cool experience to share with Nicolai as well, maybe play a foursome together.\u201d\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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