Elvira and Højgaard edge ahead at Ras Al Khaimah Championship
Spaniard Manuel Elvira and Denmark’s Rasmus Højgaard edged ahead after another day of low scoring at Al Hamra Golf Club during the second round of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship saw them reach 14 under par at the halfway point.
Elvira repeated the feat of Callum Shinkwin in the opening round by equalling the course record with a scintillating 62 which featured eight birdies and an eagle two on the par 4 13th.
“I got off to the dream start. I was six under through five, birdied the first three and then eagled my fourth hole (13th) and birdied the fifth,” he said. “After that it was just a case of keep going. I kept giving myself chances and got a 62 at the end so very happy with it.
Both Højgaard and Elvira have played alongside their brothers on the DP World Tour this season, with Elvira sharing a room this week with 2021 Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale champion Nacho, while Højgaard's identical twin Nicolai is contending at the Farmer's Insurance Open on the PGA TOUR.
While the 22-year-old Højgaards have been regulars on Tour since 2020, 27-year-old Elvira - nine years his brother's junior - is playing in his rookie season after graduating from the European Challenge Tour.
He secured three second places as he finished third on the Road to Mallorca and is now looking to go one better for a first professional win.
“Obviously playing Challenge Tour last year was a great experience and preparation for the main Tour. It is really competitive every week. I was lucky to be in contention a lot last year so I feel like am prepared to perform here so we will see what happens on the weekend.”
Højgaard, who has four DP World Tour titles to his brother’s three, built on his solid opening round of 66 with an eight under 68.
"It would be awesome (for both to win)," he said. "It’s something we never talk about because it would be such a rare occurrence.
"I think Minjee and Min Woo (Lee) did it back-to-back. It would be cool if that was to happen, but again it’s nice to see Nicolai play well and I’m just trying to feed off all these good performances.
"He’s playing well and I’m playing well, it’s cool to follow each other’s different paths."
Højgaard’s fellow countryman Thorbjørn Olesen joined the growing list of players to match the course record with a 62 to move into a share of third place with yesterday’s leader Shinkwin, who posted a 69, at 13 under for the tournament.
The UAE’s Joshua Grenville-Wood, meanwhile, remains in the hunt after another impressive round of 68 left him in a share of 13th place, five shots off the lead at nine under.
Away from the course, students from the RAK Academy took part in an introduction to golf lesson at the driving range with Al Hamra Golf Club's professionals in an initiative by the Emirates Golf Federation that has been running throughout the week. The kids also took on the Long Putt Challenge in the Championship Village before heading out to the course to catch the stars of the DP World Tour in action on the Peter Harradine-designed track.
Fans can enjoy free general admission to the Ras Al Khaimah Championship and can register for tickets here. Spectators can also upgrade their experience with tickets available for the Championship Chalet, which overlooks the 18th green, from AED 900, or the Clubhouse Terrace, from AED 160.
As well as watching the DP World Tour stars on the course, there's an array of exciting activities available for spectators aside from the golf. The Championship Village is set to host a plethora of food trucks from the UAE’s favourite eateries, while fun children’s activities and live music on each tournament day will keep the whole family entertained in what is certain to be another memorable week of golf in the UAE.
