HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

January 18, 2024

Nicolai Højgaard

Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club

Press Conference

Q. No bogey 68 on a challenging golf course. How good does that feel?

NICOLAI HØJGAARD: It feels good. Bogey-free round on this course is always good. It felt steady today. Very pleased with the start.

Q. How challenging is that golf course? What's making it difficult this year? Because they talked about toughening it up a little bit in the setup.

NICOLAI HØJGAARD: Yeah, I think it's going to be tough the next few days. The greens still have a soft side to them certain places, but the rough is up. It's tricky it gets a bit windy out there and some of the fairways, a few doglegs, it's tough to hold the fairways. It's playing the way it should be.

Q. You told us at the Nedbank that you took a disciplined approach to that golf course, a few 5-wood off the tee and not as many drivers. How are you approaching this one?

NICOLAI HØJGAARD: I feel like there's a lot of drivers out there where you have to, you have to get it out there. Also, the firm greens, you need to have short irons in.

But still, yeah, there's discipline and patience, on 17 you can put it out to a wedge, which is always a good thing into that green. It's tricky out of the rough. But if you just have a little bit of patience around this course, there's plenty of chances but you can also make a few bogeys.