Højgaard on first-tee nerves, VR prep, NYC crowd, twin confusion, and Europe’s experience edge—straight from Bethpage Black.
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Rasmus Hogar is with us now at the 2025 Ryder Cup. Rasmus, welcome to your first RDER Cup. Thank you. We’ll go ahead and jump right into questions. Martin, go ahead. Raasmus, obviously the the only change from Rome, how easy has it been settling into the team and how helpful was your presence at Rome? Yeah, it’s been it’s been pretty easy to get into the team. Uh, I’ve been called Nikolai pretty much half the time by everyone, but um, you know, I think the Rome experience made it, uh, you know, easier for me to to to get to know the guys a little bit better. So, uh, yeah, it’s been, uh, it’s been good fun so far. Stay on Mike 20. Hey, Raz back here. Um, just wanted if you can tell us like, you know, how are you your own man? You know, you’re not you’re not your brother. What do you bring to the team differently? That’s a good um, I don’t know. It’s um I think obviously Niko and I are are very similar. So there won’t be a lot of change in the team room but uh yeah I think you know the experience of Rome I was there I think as important it was for me to get to know the guys I think it was important for them to get you know to learn more about for them to learn more about me as well. So, it’s uh yeah, I don’t think it’s going to be a big change for them. Over to Mike Five Rasmus. Um you have Thomas here and and he’s been part of you growing up and becoming a a great player. What does it mean for you to have Thomas here this week as well? Uh it’s very it’s very special. Um I’ve got a great rel relationship with with Thomas. He’s been he’s been around us for for some years now. So, uh, yeah, it’s a it’s a good support to have, uh, close to me this week. Five, just, uh, you guys had the first opportunity to be out there on the course with fans in attendance. So much made about the crowd coming into this. I’m just curious what that experience was like with them there uh, yesterday. And did you guys hear some of that chirping? Did it Did you kind of start to feel the energy that’s expected to be here when the when the event starts later this week? I think yesterday was uh was a very good day. I uh I thought the crowds were great. Um got good support. Um so yeah, it’s been uh so far it’s been great. We know what that there’s going to be some situations out there, but I think we’re all um very much prepared for it, but uh it was definitely definitely a very good start. Over to Mike Six. Have you been trying to pick the brain of some of the obviously 11 of these guys were there last time, but maybe some of the older veterans on the team to try and figure out what your first RDER Cup is really going to represent? Yeah, it’s spoken to Thomas quite a bit. Uh but yeah, there’s some very experienced guys in the team. So, I think just being around him gives you a sense of calmness and uh yeah, it’s um it’s again Nick played it the last time. Um, so yeah, there’s been some good some good stuff in there that I can try and and use in my in my advantage. Adam, did you uh use the virtual reality goggles? And if so, what do you how do you how did they help you prepare for this week? Yeah, I tried them on. I thought it was it was a fun idea. Um, yeah, it was it gave us a picture of how the whole first te looked like, which I thought was was quite fun. So yeah, it was a a fun little gimmick from from the team. And and when did playing in a Ryder Cup become a dream of yours? Uh back in 2012 when uh that was that was the first Ryder Cup I really watched on the TV. Um so yeah, that was when my Ryder Cup dream started. Can you give one quick example of what you learned from being at the Ryder Cup in 23 being part of the team? Well, I think um just to see how everything runs, how how the days are built, how you know how the team room um functions. So, it’s it’s as a whole it was nice to see how all the days you know just goes by, how how they all prepare together and and what what um you know what’s going to happen during during the tournament days as well. Paul in 11. Rasmus wondering when you think the most nervous you’ve ever been on the golf course. Say it again. When’s the most nervous you’ve ever been on the golf course? It was probably at Belfrey this year, I think, uh when I was trying to qualify for the for the team. So, uh yeah, that that was probably when I was the most nervous. doing anything or kind of any mental preparations about how you might feel first te as matches are going and kind of how you want to try to handle that. I think I’m going to feel some sense of what I did at the ble there uh trying to qualify there. So I’m pretty sure the first te is going to be my most nervous moment. But again uh I try to look at it in a way that I only get to try you know the first Ryder Cup t-shirt once in my life. So trying to embrace that in a way. Uh it sounds like a cliche but uh that’s going to be my approach and then see how it goes. Over to 12. Yeah. Hi Rasmos. Given that you were involved in Rome two years ago, is there anything this year that has surprised you? Not really. I um it’s obviously it’s pretty much the same team. I think they only had to change one um initial in on on the name. So uh no, I think I think everyone is still very much uh on the same page. I think I um I kind of fell into the group in a very smooth way. So so far nothing’s really surprised me. I think just one followup. Did you know who John Franco Zola is? You’re a big football fan. I I do know who he is. Yeah. And which is your football team by the way in England? Um, I know Thomas is laughing here, but it’s Man United. I’m sorry. Doug, Russ was different. Obviously, over here to your left, different kind of noise at these Rder Cup matches, but I’d be curious, uh, when’s the first time you experienced big noise at a golf tournament and and what was that like? I think first time for me must have been playing um the PGA Championship for the first time over here. Um where was that? Do you remember? Yeah, it’s four four years ago. Can’t remember what it was, but um I think that was the first time I really, you know, big crowds, a lot of noise and with all of that, you know, going around. What did it do for you? I thought it was quite exciting in a way. um you know something that I I hadn’t tried before. So I you know it’s it’s it’s something that I you know have to deal with better and better if I if I want to achieve what I want to achieve in golf. So I thought it was super exciting to to try that and then obviously spend more and more time over here now and get more of a sense of what what it’s like. John Rasmus, you had uh obviously an experience of Luke in Rome and now you’ve got a greater experience of him. How has he changed? How is Luke Donald captaincy in 25 different from the captaincy in 23? Here’s the thing. I I wasn’t that much in the team room. I wasn’t that much involved with how Luke dealt with the team. I was uh a little bit more back in the in the in the staff. So, it’s for me it’s it’s it’s hard to really answer that. Um, you know, this this time he’s been great. He’s been he’s been out early, you know, um, speaking to everyone who had a chance to to be on the team and and made everyone feel welcome. So, um, how he was as a captain in Rome, it’s hard for me to really answer because I wasn’t that close to the team. Um, but this time he certainly has us well prepared. We thought you were in the team room. Well, I kind kind of, but I wasn’t in the team meetings. I wasn’t in all of that because I wasn’t a player. I was uh I was driving buggies that week. So, I wasn’t really involved with the team. And that was, you know, also a a decision for me is I’m I’m not a player, so I shouldn’t be in with everyone else. Mike Tube, uh Rasmos, you you met me over here. Uh you mentioned that you’re still uh being called Nikolai once again. Uh where does that happen most times? Out there with the fans or or in general interactions or do you do your teammates give you uh those names? Uh it happens all the time. It’s uh even like for example Shane Shane sometimes just calls me Nick with and then he’s like oh it’s Rasmos is here. So it’s it’s it’s all right. It’s uh it is what it is. I’m I’m I’m used to I’ve been used to it for 20 years now. So, uh yeah, it doesn’t really bother me. Are there any particular good um stories where you got confused the two of you? We had a um we’ve never done any anything crazy as such, but we had in school um I’m going to say back in the day, it sounds very um we change classes and the teacher wouldn’t notice for an hour and a half. Um, we did that a few times just to everyone in in in the class would would would know that we’ve obviously changed, but um, yeah, the teacher wouldn’t know. So, we’ll wrap it up one more over on five. Perhaps you said 13 years ago, you started dreaming about this. How is it to sit at that podium to have been out there these days and looking forward to Friday? Yeah, it’s it’s very special. It’s uh yeah, it’s it’s it’s fun to think that uh 2012 was my that’s where the the the dream started and then yeah, I’m here now. So, I’m I’m very happy that I can uh live out my Rder Cup dream. Great. Thanks for your time, Rasmus. We appreciate it. All right. Thank you.
