Rasmus Højgaard secured the final automatic qualifying spot for the European Ryder Cup team by finishing in a tie for 13th place at the British Masters, a tournament won by Alex Norén this Sunday. Højgaard needed to finish in a tie for 29th place or better in the tournament held at The Belfry to earn enough points and overtake Shane Lowry, who was holding onto the sixth and final spot on the European team’s automatic qualifiers list. Despite being overwhelmed by nerves, Højgaard managed a final round of 71 strokes under par and surpassed Lowry. Norén, for his part, recorded 67 strokes, including a 7-foot putt for bogey on the last hole, securing a one-stroke victory with a total of 16 under par.
Højgaard will make his Ryder Cup debut at Bethpage Black next month. After his round, Højgaard received a call from the European captain, Luke Donald.I don’t know what to feel, I’ve been very stressed on the course today. I was telling my caddie, I don’t know how I’m going to be able to do this.
Rasmus Højgaard
You’ve earned it, you belong, and I’m very, very excited to have you on the team.
Luke Donald
Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre and Tyrrell Hatton had already secured the other five automatic spots on Luke Donald’s team, which will defend the Ryder Cup. Lowry will now have to wait for one of the six captain’s picks to complete the 12-man team. These will be announced on September 1st. Rasmus Højgaard’s twin brother, Nicolai, competed for Europe in the 2023 Ryder Cup outside of Rome.I know it was a stressful week, with many ups and downs, but you came out victorious and that’s what it’s all about. So you should be proud of yourself.
Luke Donald
