Rasmus Hojgaard Claims Home Win In Mammoth Playoff
The 22-year-old picked up a fourth DP World Tour title at Made in HimmerLand, overcoming Nacho Elvira at the sixth playoff hole
Starting the final day, it was Nacho Elvira who led by one shot at the Made in Himmerland event but, after bogeying the final hole and going through a six hole playoff, it was Rasmus Hojgaard who came out on top to secure the title in his home country of Denmark.
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As mentioned, Elvira had a one shot lead to start on Sunday, with Robert MacIntyre one shot back and Richie Ramsay two. Throughout the early stages though it was actually players from lower down the leaderboard who were making charges, with Matthew Southgate firing a nine-under 61, and Hojgaard, who started the day six shots back, carding a six-under 64 to set the target at 13-under.
There was still plenty of golf to be played though and, after making birdies at the fourth and fifth, MacIntyre made yet another birdie at the ninth to move two shots clear going into the back nine.
The Scot though struggled on the back nine, with a triple bogey at the par 4 13th dropping him back to level-par for the day. What's more, he would bogey the 15th to put himself further down the leaderboard. That left both Ramsay and Elvira to battle it out but, as has been the case this week, it was the par 4 18th that would ultimately play its part...
For Ramsay, it would be heartbreak as his second shot found the water short of the green and, to add further misery, he would fail to get up-and-down as he missed out on a playoff spot by one stroke. In Elvira's case, he put a superb swing on his tee shot but, as he struck his second, it sailed over the green, with the 36-year-old also unable to make his par.
Because the Spaniard failed to make par we were back down the 18th, this time with Elvira and Hojgaard. At the first playoff hole, both men produced up-and-downs for par and, with the second, it was Hojgaard who came closest as his birdie brushed the edge of the hole.
Playing the 18th for a third time, it was Hojgaard who once again had a chance to win but, as he struck his birdie putt, it somehow lipped out on the left side. Such was the disbelief, Hojgaard dropped his putter on the 18th green and, as they headed up the 18th once again, it was six pars that had been made to force a fourth playoff hole.
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More pars were made on the fourth and fifth playoff hole with the tension eventually spilling over when, coming from thick rough, Elvira cleared the green and flew his shot out of bounds. His provisional wasn't much better and, as his ball found the rough at the back, Hojgaard safely found the green to tie up the title. Two-putting for par, that's exactly what he did, with the Dane securing a fourth DP World Tour title at the age of just 22.
Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.
Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.
Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?
Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°
Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°
Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°
Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°
Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
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