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Rasmus Højgaard

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Rasmus Højgaard
Personal information
Born (2001-03-12) 12 March 2001 (age 23)
Billund, Denmark
Sporting nationality Denmark
Career
Turned professional2019
Current tour(s)European Tour
Former tour(s)Challenge Tour
Professional wins5
Highest ranking56 (3 November 2024)[1]
(as of 3 November 2024)
Number of wins by tour
European Tour5
Asian Tour1
Sunshine Tour1
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipT68: 2024
U.S. OpenCUT: 2020
The Open ChampionshipT60: 2024
Achievements and awards
European Tour UK Swing
Order of Merit winner
2020

Rasmus Højgaard (born 12 March 2001) is a Danish professional golfer who won his first European Tour event at the 2019 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, becoming the third youngest player to win on the European Tour.

Amateur career

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2018 Eisenhower Trophy in Ireland. The winning Danish team: Torben Nyehuus (captain), John Axelsen, Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard

Højgaard first came to prominence in July 2016 when he won the Danish International Amateur Championship, was part of the Danish team that finished third in the European Boys' Team Championship and won the McGregor Trophy in successive weeks.[2] In 2017 Højgaard received further recognition at the boys level by representing Continental Europe in the Jacques Léglise Trophy. He was also part of the Danish team that won the 2017 European Boys Team Championship, beating the hosts Spain in the final.[3]

Early in 2018 Højgaard played for Europe in the Bonallack Trophy against Asia/Pacific. In June he won the individual competition for the boys Toyota Junior Golf World Cup, four strokes ahead of his brother Nicolai.[4] Denmark also won the team competition.[5] In September he was part of the Danish team that won the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy for the first time and he played for Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup later in the month.

Professional career

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Højgaard turned professional at the start of 2019. After playing some tournaments on the Nordic Golf League he played on the Challenge Tour for the rest of the season. He was one of five runners-up in his first Challenge Tour event, the Challenge de España. Although he had a number of further top-10 finishes, he finished 21st in the Order of Merit, missing out on a place on the 2020 European Tour. However he finished tied for 5th place in the Q School later in 2019 to gain a place on the tour.[6][7]

In December 2019, Højgaard won the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, the second event of the season, winning a three-man playoff against Renato Paratore and Antoine Rozner at the third extra hole.[8]

Højgaard was the first player born in the 2000s to win on the European Tour. He won in only his fifth European Tour start and became the third youngest winner in Tour history (18 years, 271 days), behind Matteo Manassero (17 years, 188 days) and Danny Lee (18 years, 213 days).

In August 2020, Højgaard won the ISPS Handa UK Championship in a playoff over Justin Walters for his second European Tour win. He became the second youngest player to achieve multiple wins on the Tour, after Matteo Manassero.[9] He also claimed the UK Swing Order of Merit, a mini order of merit awarded during the six events played in the UK during the European Tour's return to golf after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[10]

In August 2021, Højgaard won the Omega European Masters in Switzerland. He shot a final-round 63 to post −13 and the clubhouse lead. Bernd Wiesberger who was leading by one shot at the time, double-bogeyed the final hole to finish one behind Højgaard.[11]

In July 2023, Højgaard won the Made in HimmerLand event in Denmark. He shot a final-round 64 and beat Nacho Elvira in a six-hole sudden-death playoff.[12]

In September 2024, Højgaard won the Amgen Irish Open for his fifth European Tour victory. Højgaard became the youngest player since José María Olazábal in 1989 to collect five wins on the European Tour.[13]

Personal life

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Højgaard's twin brother Nicolai is a professional golfer and was also part of the Danish team that won the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy.[14] They became the first brothers to win in back-to-back weeks on the European Tour in 2021.[15]

Amateur wins

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Source:[16]

Professional wins (5)

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European Tour wins (5)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 8 Dec 2019
(2020 season)
AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open1 −19 (66-69-66-68=269) Playoff Italy Renato Paratore, France Antoine Rozner
2 30 Aug 2020 ISPS Handa UK Championship −14 (73-69-67-65=274) Playoff South Africa Justin Walters
3 29 Aug 2021 Omega European Masters −13 (68-66-70-63=267) 1 stroke Austria Bernd Wiesberger
4 9 Jul 2023 Made in HimmerLand −13 (68-70-65-64=267) Playoff Spain Nacho Elvira
5 15 Sep 2024 Amgen Irish Open −9 (71-68-71-65=275) 1 stroke Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy

1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Sunshine Tour

European Tour playoff record (3–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2019 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open Italy Renato Paratore, France Antoine Rozner Won with eagle on third extra hole
Paratore eliminated by birdie on first hole
2 2020 ISPS Handa UK Championship South Africa Justin Walters Won with par on second extra hole
3 2023 Made in HimmerLand Spain Nacho Elvira Won with par on sixth extra hole

Results in major championships

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Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Masters Tournament
PGA Championship 79 CUT T68
U.S. Open CUT
The Open Championship NT CUT T60
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Results in World Golf Championships

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Tournament 2021
Championship 67
Match Play
Invitational
Champions NT1

1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

  Did not play

NT = No tournament

Team appearances

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Amateur

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Week 44 2024 Ending 3 Nov 2024" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Denmark's Rasmus wins the McGregor Trophy by six". England Golf. 14 July 2016.
  3. ^ "Denmark, England, Spain and Sweden Crowned 2017 European Team Champions". European Golf Association. 17 July 2017.
  4. ^ "2018 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup" (PDF). World Junior Golf Team Championship Final Round Individual Results. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  5. ^ "2018 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup Final Round Team Results" (PDF). World Junior Golf Team Championship. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  6. ^ "Poke dominates Final Stage as 28 earn cards". PGA European Tour. 20 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Final Qualifying Stage – Leaderboard". PGA European Tour. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Teenager Rasmus Hojgaard Makes History In Mauritius". Golf Monthly. 9 December 2019.
  9. ^ "UK Championship: Rasmus Hojgaard, 19, wins second European Tour title after Belfry play-off". Sky Sports. 30 August 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  10. ^ Jackson, Keith (31 August 2020). "Rasmus Hojgaard crowned US Swing Order of Merit champion after UK Championship win". Sky Sports. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Rasmus Højgaard shoots 63 to win European Masters by 1 stroke". Sportstar. 30 August 2021.
  12. ^ Dempster, Martin (9 July 2023). "Danish delight for Rasmus Højgaard after sore finish for Scottish duo in Farsø". The Scotsman. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Hojgaard birdies last 3 holes to win the Irish Open and hand McIlroy more heartache". Associated Press News. 15 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  14. ^ "Denmark Edges Out USA To Win First Eisenhower Trophy" (PDF). IGF. 8 September 2018.
  15. ^ "Nicolai makes it twin wins for Højgaard brothers". European Tour. 5 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Rasmus Hojgaard". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
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