Who is Nicolai Hojgaard? 5 things to know about the Masters contender

Nicolai Højgaard plays his shot from the 18th tee during the second round of the 2024 Masters at Augusta National.

Nicolai Hojgaard is four under par through two rounds at the 2024 Masters.

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As you scroll the Masters leaderboard, there’s one name, right near the top, that might give you pause: Hojgaard, Nicolai. Who?

American fans may not yet be familiar with the contender, but given his star-making turn at Augusta National this week, it’s time to learn a bit about the Danish star.

Here are 5 things to know about Nicolai Hojgaard.

Hojgaard has multiple DP World Tour wins

At the young age of 23, Hojgaard already has three DP World Tour wins on his resume. His most recent victory was the DP World Tour Championship, which he won in November.

Hojgaard is playing his first Masters

This year marks Hojgaard’s first Masters, though he’s played in five other majors: three Open Championships and two PGA Championships. His best result was at last year’s Open, when he finished T23.

He’s making his way up the rankings

At this time last year, Hojgaard was ranked outside of the World Top 100. Fast forward to the present day, and Hojgaard is well inside the Top 50 at No. 38, thanks to an impressive 2023 season, in which he not only won once but also posted eight other top-10 finishes.

He already has a Ryder Cup win on the resume

Nicolai was a part of the victorious European Ryder Cup team last year as a captain’s pick, and ended up with a 0-2-1 overall record. His long half-point came from his Friday afternoon four-ball pairing with Jon Rahm, when the two tied Americans Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka.

Nicolai is a twin! And his brother is a pro too

Nicolai’s identical twin brother Rasmus is also a pro on the DP World Tour. Rasmus has four DP World Tour wins and is currently ranked 81st in the world.

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