DP World Tour Championship : Leaderboard Weather
Nicolai Højgaard continued his love affair at Jumeirah Golf Estates as he opened up a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the 2025 DP World Tour Championship.
The Dane is making his third appearance at the season-ending event on the Earth Course, where he came fourth on his debut in 2021 before lifting the trophy two years later.
Højgaard began the day three shots behind leader Michael Kim, but an eagle and five birdies saw him catapult to the top of the leaderboard thanks to a flawless -7 65, the lowest round of the week so far to reach -12.
There is a stellar chasing pack in hot pursuit, with his 2023 European Ryder Cup team-mates Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy sat alongside Daniel Hillier and fellow Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen at -9.
"It's great to be back, it's one of my favourite tournaments and courses to play," Højgaard said.
"I stayed really patient again. Yesterday was a really good round and I feel that I actually played a little bit better today. It's just staying patient.
"There are plenty of chances out there, but it's easy to make a silly bogey out of being too aggressive so trying to navigate my way around there a little bit. Staying patient has been the highlight so far.
"It suits my eye. You talk about golf courses suiting your eye, I really like it off the tee. It's a precision course as well, it's a mix of a driver down to a four-iron and it plays into my strength which is mid-irons.
"It's just a really good fit for me and I've played some really good golf again so hopefully we can keep it up."
Højgaard made a fast start with an opening birdie before leaving just four feet at the par-five second with his approach.
Just as Kim sent his tee-shot into the steep fairway bunker at the first, the Dane rolled in the eagle putt to join him in the lead at -8
Rose joined the pair at the summit with a huge 65 foot birdie putt at the sixth before Kim dropped out of the leadership group with an opening bogey.
However, Fleetwood followed Højgaard's lead at the second with an eagle, albeit his was from 61 feet to jump ahead on his own at -9.
Rose completed a hat-trick of birdies at the seventh to reach nine under, while Højgaard made it three European Ryder Cup stars at the top with a birdie at the fifth.
Højgaard drained his fifth birdie of the day at the 14th to restore his two-shot lead at -12. His advantage then stretched to three when Neergaard-Petersen bogeyed the last to slip back.
Rose and Neergaard-Petersen, who were playing partners on day two, both carded 67s as did Irishman Lowry to reach -9. Defending champion McIlroy came home with a -4 68 and New Zealand's Hillier signed for a -3 69.
Canter, Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, Swede Alex Noren and Fleetwood are one shot further back at -8.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus
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