Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard will defend his Ras Al Khaimah Championship title when the tournament returns to Al Hamra Golf Club in Ras Al Khaimah from February 2-5, 2023.
The 21-year-old stormed to his second DP World Tour title at last season’s tournament, winning by four strokes from Jordan Smith as he carded a four under par final round 68 on the Peter Harradine-designed layout.
Smith piled on the pressure during the final round and moved two strokes ahead of Højgaard with six holes to play. But the Dane kept his composure and carded three birdies and an eagle down the closing stretch as he came back to seal a four-shot victory, his second win in the space of just ten starts.
The tournament will be the last of the traditional Middle East Swing series of events taking place in the United Arab Emirates at the start of the year, following on from the Hero Cup, a new team match play event, and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Dubai Desert Classic, the first two Rolex Series events of the 2023 season.
“It’s always nice having the opportunity to defend a title and I’m really looking forward to returning to Al Hamra next year,” said Højgaard. “It was a great final day battle with Jordan, so to fight back the way I did on the back nine and win by four shots was really satisfying.
“It’s a great venue and the course really suits my eye, so hopefully I can feed off some good memories and have another strong week; it’ll be a great finish to the run of events we have in the UAE at the start of the year.”
Nicolai will be joined in the field by his twin brother and three-time DP World Tour winner Rasmus, as well as their compatriot Thomas Bjørn who famously captained Europe to Ryder Cup victory at Le Golf National in 2018.
Also set for a return to Al Hamra Golf Club is New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, who won the Ras Al Khaimah Classic as part of a double-header at the venue earlier this year. The 35-year-old enjoyed a fairy-tale 2022 campaign which included two victories, four runner-up finishes and four further top tens as he finished second to Rory McIlroy on the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
Al Hamra Golf Club has a burgeoning history of hosting world-class golf, starting in 2016 when it first hosted the European Challenge Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge for two years, followed by the Challenge Tour Grand Final in 2018.
Ticket registration for the 2023 Ras Al Khaimah Championship is now open, with fans invited to register for free tickets here.
Fans who would like to elevate their experience at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship have the opportunity to purchase a place to play alongside DP World Tour professionals in either the Monday or Wednesday Pro-Ams. Plus, hospitality tickets are available from AED 720 if purchased before the new year. Click here to purchase a Pro-Am place or hospitality tickets.
