Nicolai eyes back-to-back titles with victory at RAK Classic

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Nicolai Højgaard returns to Al Hamra Golf Club this week for the Ras Al Khaimah Classic and, following a stunning display which yielded a four-stroke victory last week, the big-hitting Dane is feeling confident he can claim back-to-back titles in the UAE.

That impressive win at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital only strengthened the 20-year-old's reputation as one of golf's brightest young stars - alongside his twin brother Rasmus.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” said Nicolai.

“It was a grind out there and I had to dig deep so it felt really good and I’m really looking forward to teeing up again on Thursday.

“The phone has been buzzing the last few days so I haven’t talked or texted anyone yet, I’m trying to get into tournament mode now and focus on the week ahead, and hopefully play some good golf again.

"Nicolai needs one more win to equal his sibling's tally of three DP World Tour titles and, following a performance which - barring a stumble midway through the final round - was nigh on perfect, he feels he is in with a great chance of claiming wins in successive weeks.

Meanwhile, Jordan Smith is hoping to continue his momentum this week at Al Hamra following an impressive start to his 2022 campaign.

The Englishman has credited a lot of recent changes in his game as the catalyst behind a strong run of form, which saw him come close to a second career victory during last week's Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club.

He finished as the eventual runner-up to Hojgaard, but it was just the latest in a string of impressive results so far in 2022, following a top ten at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, and a tie for 12th at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic.

“Really pleased with my start," Smith reflected ahead of this week.

"Been asked the question a few times, and there have obviously been some changes from the previous years.

"I knew something needed to change and we had a look back at stats and performances and how I was feeling.

"We weren’t sure how it was going pan out this year but it’s worked out really well, I’m really happy with how everything is with the game and off-course."

Acknowledging that need for a change after a downward trend over the past few years, Smith entered the year with new caddie on the bag and new clubs, which he talked about in last week's player blog as a huge contributor to his renewed confidence.

And now, he is hoping to continue that confidence for a second week Al Hamra - a course where he triumphed on the Challenge Tour in 2016.

“Obviously the last three years have not gone the way I wanted them to. Not making the DP World Tour Championship for the first time really annoyed me and I knew something needed to change.

"I’ve got a new caddie who’s been out here for a few years and he’s a really good friend of mine – he was one of the ushers at my wedding. So we have a good relationship and I know he’s a good caddie, he was a good player too.

“Then there was a change of clubs and a lot of testing and finding out what worked for me. I feel like now I’ve got off to a good start, I’m really motivated to push on from where I am now.

"I’ve tended to have a pretty good start for most seasons so I’ve got to keep it going and hopefully the schedule stays as it is for me as it’s looking exciting.

“Coming back I had good memories from 2016, obviously from winning here. So I came here with good memories and thoughts and I feel really comfortable around this course, don’t know what it is about it. It’s just nice and relaxed and a bit quieter than Dubai, I love the place.”