Wait, you might be thinking, didn’t Højgaard win on the European Tour last week?
Indeed, one did. A week after his twin brother Rasmus won in Switzerland, Nicolai Højgaard made history on Sunday, dropping a short birdie putt on the final hole to capture the DS Automobiles Italian Open at Marco Simone Golf Club. That gave the Danish duo the distinction of being the first brother tandem to win consecutive events on the Euro Tour.
Nicolai, whose previous best showing was a second-place finish at the 2019 KLM Open (when he finished just behind Sergio Garcia), shot an even 71 to hold off Tommy Fleetwood and Adrian Meronk for the title.
Højgaard admitted his nerves were getting to him as he stood over his final putt, a short-and-straight 3-footer.
“I’ve been nervous many times before but nothing like this. I almost couldn’t move the putter to be honest, so I was really nervous,” he said. “But you’re trying to get yourself a chance to win and I gave myself a chance today. … I’m really happy and can’t wait to celebrate.”
The winning moment & celebrations 🙌#DSOpendItalia pic.twitter.com/K3Igrir58u
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) September 5, 2021
And Nicolai admitted after Saturday’s round that he was using his twin’s victory as inspiration.
“Seeing Rasmus win is a big motivation. I’m just trying to follow in his steps a little bit,” Nicolai said.
“To finish it off with an up and down, it’s perfect, it’s what I’ve dreamed of. It’s what I’ve been working on all my life so I’m really pleased with it,” Højgaard said.
