RAS AL KHAIMAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | A father of two pairs of twins himself, Thomas Bjørn knows a thing or two about them.
So, when you discuss the Højgaard twins with the man often called the “father of Danish golf,” his face lights up with almost paternal pride even though I caught him at a bad time – he had just missed the cut at DP World Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic.
Near the end of 2021, the 20-year-old brothers Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard became the first pair of twins to make it into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings.
Nicolai won the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge (the first of two back-to-back tournaments at Al Hamra Golf Club in the northernmost of seven emirates that form the UAE) two weeks ago for his second DP World Tour title. Rasmus already has three in his bag.
The twins were the talk of the tour when they won in successive weeks in 2021.
Rasmus won the Omega European Masters in the last week of August with a stunning finish in which he played the last six holes in 5-under and won by one shot at 13-under par.
A week later, some 800 kms down south in Rome, Nicolai won the Italian Open. Remarkably, he too shot a 13-under-par total to triumph by one.
Like almost every other golf expert trying to describe and discuss the Højgaards’ dazzling rise, Bjørn quickly runs out of adjectives. The Great Dane is known to choose his words carefully, but he was in no doubt that this is just the beginning of the “Højgaard era.”
“I came out here when I was 25. They are 20 and they are so much better than I was,” Bjørn said. “They have so much time ahead of them and they already seem ready to handle the many ups and downs that come as professional golfers. Their potential … it’s frightening. It really is.
“As Danes, we’re talking about them in a completely different way. I will say, if they were American or British, it would be a completely different thing. It’s nice for them that they have kind of gotten into it a little bit easier than what would happen in most other countries.”
The journey has just started for the Højgaards, but it has already been a remarkable one so far.
After a fantastic amateur career, during which Nicolai became the 2017 European champion and the brothers helped Denmark win the 2017 European Boys Championship, followed by an unprecedented World Amateur Team Championship title for the Eisenhower Trophy (in 2018, with players like Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland in rival teams), it’s been a smooth sailing so far in the professional ranks.
If there is a sibling rivalry between the two, it is a healthy one. Nicolai insists there is a “competition between us, but it’s not a competition really.”
“It’s more important that we have fun and are able to pull each other’s leg, too,” says the world No. 67. “He has three wins and I have two. The numbers will probably become important at some point in our careers, but right now, it is important that we continue to motivate each other.
“You always want to beat each other, but it’s not important that you beat your brother. It’s always about getting better and we are able to help each other.
“We do have the unique bonding that many twins have. Even if Rasmus is standing 200 yards away, I can tell you if something is bothering him, or if he is in a good mood. We understand each other well and we have similar tastes in many things. To have someone like him on the tour is a big advantage.”
Rasmus adds: “The emotional support is very important. We know when to give a hug or a high five, but also when to give the other person space and say nothing at all.
“Just watching Nicolai win (two weeks ago) was such a big thing for me. I was so happy for him, but at the same time, I want to win again. We keep pushing each other that way.”
It may be difficult for casual fans to differentiate between the identical twins, but Bjørn’s keen golfing eyes have seen many facets that are unique to each brother.
“What pleases me the most is their intense desire to get better and stronger and skillful every day,” Bjørn said. “Both have got massive games, but have you seen Nicolai’s drives? … I haven’t seen golf game like his probably since Rory (McIlroy). That’s how big the potential is in him.
“Rasmus is the more mature one of the two. He is more an Adam Scott. Plodding along with a great, solid swing that is big and powerful.”
"We do have the unique bonding that many twins have. Even if Rasmus is standing 200 yards away, I can tell you if something is bothering him, or if he is in a good mood. We understand each other well and we have similar tastes in many things. To have someone like him on the tour is a big advantage."
Nicolai Højgaard
Søren Kjeldsen, a four-time winner on the DP World Tour who rose to No. 31 in the world rankings, says the Højgaards are not just pushing each other, but also the whole country into a golf revolution.
“It’s always important that when a young player bursts on to the world stage, they have friends there who are playing well,” said Kjeldsen, who won the World Cup of Golf alongside Thorbjørn Olesen in 2016. “I mean I played on the PGA Tour in 2017 and I did not like it because I felt lonely. Everyday life has to be enjoyable because this game is hard, tough and tedious. It beats you up. The brothers are lucky to have each other on the tour.
“They are remarkable players. I have known them for some time now, and I’d struggle to find any faults in their games. Their level of maturity is what amazes me. They are 20, but you’d think they are 30 to 35. And because they are so young and have had so much success, you should see how popular golf has become in Denmark. There are thousands of kids wanting to play golf.
“My son, Emil, is a good player and he looks up to them. The thing is, it’s not always a good thing, because those two are exceptional. Striving to become exceptional is great, but you could look at them and become a bit disheartened and think, ‘I am 18, and they are 20 and: Wow. I’ve got such a long way to go.’ ”
World No. 116, Joachim B Hansen, 31, won the AVIV Championship in Dubai in November last year, and has no qualms in admitting that the two are making him a better player.
“The Højgaard brothers mean a lot to Danish golf,” he said. “They are just 20, but they are idols to many back home.
“They are a big part of why Danish golf is so healthy right now. They work very hard on their game. Guys like Jeff (Winther), Lucas (Bjerregaard) and Marcus (Helligkilde) … so many of us on the tour now and each one of us are pushing the other to do better.”
Playing the Ryder Cup is a big goal for the brothers, and they’d dearly want one-sixth of the European team to come from a single household when they take on the United States at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy, next year.
If Bjørn was the captain for the 2023 edition, would he pick up the Højgaard twins, and more importantly, pair them?
“They have a very, very good chance of qualifying for the Ryder Cup,” says Bjørn, who led Europe to a 17½-10½ win in the 2018 edition at Le Golf National in France.
“Obviously, one of the dangers with the Ryder Cup is that you can be too young. It’s all about getting in the right frame of mind and getting in the right position to get into the team. They should not get ahead of themselves with this Ryder Cup, because many more will come their way. But they could easily be in the team with this big generational change happening with guys like (Ian) Poulter and Henrik (Stenson) probably too old to play anymore. We need some new players to come through and the sooner the better.
“I probably would pair them. They will be rookies, so you’ve got to go with what fits the team, like having an experienced player with a rookie. But they have played all their golf together and they know each other inside out. They know how to react to each other. Yeah … I wouldn’t be scared of putting them out together.”
Top: Nicolai Højgaard is congratulated by his twin brother, Rasmus, after winning Ras al Khaimah Championship.
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