A week on from Rasmus Hojgaard winning the Omega European Masters, twin brother Nicolai Hojgaard celebrated his maiden European Tour title; Tommy Fleetwood finished tied-second alongside Adrian Meronk
Sunday 5 September 2021 19:21, UK
Nicolai Hojgaard secured his breakthrough European Tour title with a history-making victory at the DS Automobiles Italian Open.
The Dane birdied the par-five last to close a level-par 71 at Marco Simone Golf Club and end the week on 13 under, a shot clear of Tommy Fleetwood and Poland's Adrian Meronk.
Hojgaard's victory comes just a week after his twin brother, Rasmus, won the Omega European Masters, making it the first time in European Tour history that brothers have won successive tournaments.
Fleetwood had also birdied the last for a closing 71, narrowly missing out on a first European Tour title since November 2019, with Meronk also tied-second having earlier set the target on 12 under following a superb 66.
"I was getting emotional after the last putt," Hojgaard told Sky Sports. "I could see my caddie, my girlfriend, Rasmus and his girlfriend. It has been a perfect week. To finish it off like this, the week after Rasmus won, is perfect.
"It's been such a tough day. I've been through every emotion in my body and brain. It's what I've dreamed of. It's what I've been working hard on all year and all my life so I'm really pleased with it.
"I've been nervous many times before but nothing like it [on 18]. I couldn't almost move the putter to be honest. I'm really happy and can't wait to celebrate."
Hojgaard started the day one ahead and cancelled out a three-putt bogey at the second by holing a 12-foot birdie at the fifth and adding a close-range birdie at the 11th, only to lose outright lead by carding back-to-back bogeys from the 14th.
Meronk had charged from six behind after pitching in for eagle from off the 11th green and back-to-back birdies over his next two holes, with pars over the closing stretch seeing him set the target at 12 under.
Fleetwood's hopes had appeared over when he three-putted from 30 feet at the sixth and dropped a shot at eighth, only to hole a 30-footer for the first of three birdies in a four-hole stretch around the turn and close the gap on the lead.
The Englishman took two attempts out of the sand on his way to a bogey at the 14th and responded to a blemish at the 16th by holing a nine-foot birdie at the last to briefly make it a three-way tie at the top, only for Hojgaard to fire his approach at the par-five 18th to three feet and set up a winning birdie.
Fleetwood said: "I hit a couple of bad shots at the wrong time but overall felt like I played well today.
"Especially on the front nine I felt as comfortable as I'd felt all week, long-game wise, and just didn't putt like I had done throughout the first three days. I eventually got that going.
"There are things that I'd like to put right but at the end of the day I haven't been around much this year, I haven't been in contention a lot. I played a lot better this week and again I take a lot of heart from those two shots on the 18th - the wedge in and holing the putt.
"Fair play to Nicolai - there's obviously something very special happening with those brothers and that's going to be exciting in the future."
Italy's Francesco Laporta finished two strokes back in fourth, with Edoardo Molinari and Richard Bland in a share of fifth place on ten under alongside Japan's Mashiro Kawamura. Daniel van Tonder, starting the day just a shot behind Hojgaard, slumped to tied-27th after a final-round 79.
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