Is there anything worse than when your sibling is getting all the praise and attention and you’re left standing on the outside of the congratulatory circle?
The Hojgaard twins are both prospects that have been getting European golf fans excited over the last few years and both players should be a mainstay on Team Europe Ryder Cup teams for at least the next decade.
Funnily, Rasmus looked like the real deal, the better of the two brothers but Nicolai has got the break that has elevated him to another level heading into 2024 with his brother looking up rather than below him.
Speaking to a Danish journalist recently I asked him what was the general opinion of the twins in Denmark and his reply was that Rasmus was always viewed as the better player, the more rounded player.
Three wins between 2019 and 2021 before Nicolai broke through on the DP World Tour suggests as much and despite leading his bother on 4 DP World Tour wins to 3, it is Nicolai who is the hot ticket in town and the prospect of seeing him and Ludvig Åberg battling it out at the top of PGA Tour leaderboards is mouthwatering with Bethpage Black in 2025 soon to roll around.
Nicolai has been elevated to another level having been selected as a wildcard pick for Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup side in September and winning the DP World Tour Championship and while he can look forward to the fruits of his labour, Rasmus’ future is slightly unclear.
Rasmus missed out on one of the ten PGA Tour cards by a measly 30 points despite shooting 65, 69 last weekend in Dubai, after a late birdie barrage from Mathieu Pavon muscled him out.
With golf Stateside wrapped up until the New Year, the only remaining PGA Tour cards available are the five up for grabs at next month’s PGA Tour Q-School.
Despite ranking 86th in the Official World Golf Rankings and finishing 18th in the Race to Dubai, Rasmus is not exempt into the Final Stage of Q-School.
In contrast to other tours such as the Sunshine Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Korean PGA Tour, whose top points leaders are exempted into Final Stage.
Would it not make sense to offer those who miss out on the ten PGA Tour cards on the DP World Tour a second chance at Q-School?
Even the Korn Ferry Tour players who missed out on the top-30 were granted last chance saloons with an exemption to the Final Stage of Q-School.
Granted, if Rasmus went to PGA Tour Q-School there is no guarantee he would secure his PGA Tour card but it would have been nice to have the chance.
There are some kinks to this ‘strategic alliance’ between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and having a safety net for those who miss out on PGA Tour cards at the end of the season is a rule that could have been brought in.
Nicolai’s inclusion in the Ryder Cup over Adrian Meronk was subject of much debate but Donald was vindicated after he won the DP World Tour Championship.
Rasmus was in attendance at the Ryder Cup as he was when Nicolai was confirmed the winner in Dubai last week. But on both occasions he was on the outside looking in, watching as his brother passed him by.
Nicolai even replaced him at the Hero Cup in January when he had to withdraw due to a shoulder injury.
Once the next big thing, Rasmus has to knuckle down and do it all over again.
Had it not been for an injury hit first half of the year, would it be Rasmus getting all the plaudits?
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