Nicolai Højgaard claimed a four shot victory at the Ras al Khaimah Championship and became the first Team TaylorMade athlete to win with the Stealth Carbonwood driver on a major worldwide Tour.
© Getty Images
At the young age of 20, Højgaard is already proving to be a force on the DP World Tour. He claimed his second victory in just his last 10 starts at the Ras al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital.
His strong play included two final-round eagles en route to posting a 68 and a four-day total of 264 (24-under-par). With powerful tee shots from his Stealth Plus driver, he led the field in both Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee (+2.21) and driving distance (340.75 yards).
"I'm happy with the changes that I've made, I'm really happy with the work that I've put in off the course and on the course. So, I’m quite excited for the future now. I’m not really thinking about it, but obviously when you’re playing good you start looking at all the rankings. I’m motivated to keep going and get better and hopefully qualify for the big tournaments.”
- Nicoali Højgaard
© Getty Images
The final round wasn’t without stress, as a double bogey at No. 9 followed by a bogey at 12 dropped him out of the lead. But the young Dane showed mettle down the stretch, recording an eagle at 14 and closing birdies on 17 & 18. The win pushes him inside the top 100 in the world.
NEED TO KNOW
- Højgaard plays the Stealth Plus 10.5 driver equipped with a Tensei AV White 65 X shaft and TP5 Golf Ball
- It is his second DP World Tour win in his 10 starts
- He led the field in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee (+2.21) and driving distance (340.75 yards)
- He made two final-round eagles to secure the win
- He is the first Team TaylorMade athlete to win with Stealth on a major worldwide Tour
- Since both turning pro in 2019, Nicolai and his twin brother Rasmus have combined for five professional wins. Rasmus is also a Team TaylorMade athlete
“It was amazing to see Nicolai’s first shot with his built-to-spec Stealth Plus driver hit 190 mph ball speed. While that’s exciting and takes a special type of player, he’s more focused on accuracy which we started to dial in during the fit. Most of our testing was done on course, similar to Rory. It’s about the ability to hit shots and turn the driver into a real weapon given the speed and power he has in the tank. Each day, he would tell me about a drive he hit in practice and the tournament that was, in his mind, a testament to the work we’d done and the goals of the fitting.”
- Adrian Rietveld, TaylorMade Senior Tour Rep
NICOLAI HØJGAARD WITB
- Stealth Plus driver (10.5°)
- SIM2 Max HL 3wd (16.5°)
- SIM2 Max 5wd (18°)
- P·7TW Irons (4-PW)
- Hi-Toe Raw Wedges (50°, 56° and 60°)
- TP5 Golf Ball (2021)
