Nicolai Højgaard continued his remarkable affinity with Jumeirah Golf Estates, storming into a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the 2025 DP World Tour Championship with a flawless, tournament-low 65 on the Earth Course.
The Dane, making just his third appearance at the season-ending finale, has already enjoyed memorable moments at this venue – finishing fourth on debut in 2021 before lifting the trophy in 2023. Now, he’s firmly in position for another title run after reaching 12 under par.
Starting the day three back of overnight leader Michael Kim, Højgaard wasted no time attacking the top of the leaderboard. An eagle at the par-five second – moments after Kim found trouble in a fairway bunker – ignited a brilliant run featuring five birdies and no blemishes.
“It’s great to be back – it’s one of my favourite tournaments and courses,” said Højgaard. “I stayed patient, picked my spots, and the course really suits my eye. It’s a precision test, and the mix of tee shots and mid-irons really plays to my strengths.”
Ryder Cup Stars In The Mix
Behind him, a star-studded chasing pack is locked at nine under, including Ryder Cup teammates Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy, as well as Daniel Hillier and fellow Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.
Rose produced fireworks of his own with a monster 65-foot birdie putt at the sixth, while Fleetwood matched Højgaard’s early eagle with a stunning 61-footer at the second. McIlroy, the defending champion, carded a composed 68 to stay firmly in the hunt.
Neergaard-Petersen briefly climbed into solo second thanks to an eagle at the 14th and a burst of scoring through the back nine, but a closing bogey saw him slip back into the group at nine under.
Laurie Canter, Robert MacIntyre, Alex Noren and Fleetwood sit one shot further adrift at eight under heading into the weekend – well within striking distance should Højgaard stumble.
With low scores on offer and Ryder Cup stars stacked near the summit, the weekend promises a thrilling finale to the DP World Tour season.
