Nicolai Højgaard strengthened his special bond with Jumeirah Golf Estates as he stormed into a three-shot lead at the halfway mark of the 2025 Stars in the gallery DP World Tour Championship. The Dane, already a past champion on the Earth Course, delivered a masterful second-round 65, the lowest score of the week, to reach 12 under par.
Making only his third appearance at the season finale, Højgaard has never finished outside the top four at the venue. After starting the day three behind overnight leader Michael Kim, he produced a flawless display featuring an eagle and five birdies to take command of a star-studded leaderboard.
It’s great to be back, it’s one of my favourite tournaments and courses to play: I stayed really patient again. Yesterday was a really good round and I feel that I actually played a little bit better today.
“It Suits My Eye” – Why the Earth Course Brings Out Højgaard’s Best
Højgaard, who won the event in 2023, once again looked completely at ease on a layout that complements his strengths.
“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.
The 24-year-old opened with a birdie at the first before firing a superb approach to four feet at the par-five second, rolling in the eagle to join Kim at the top.
From there, he shifted through the gears, reaching the turn in just 30 shots with birdies at the fifth, seventh and ninth. A further gain at the 14th pushed him to 12 under, restoring a two-shot advantage after Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen briefly closed the gap. When his fellow Dane bogeyed the last, Højgaard’s lead stretched to three.
Ryder Cup Contenders in the Hunt
A formidable chasing pack sits on nine under, featuring three of Højgaard’s Ryder Cup teammates – Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and defending champion Rory McIlroy, alongside Daniel Hillier and Neergaard-Petersen.
Rose rolled in a huge 65-foot birdie putt at the sixth and completed a run of three birdies at the seventh en route to a 67, while Lowry matched that score thanks to five birdies of his own.
McIlroy, the reigning champion, posted a composed 68 to keep himself within striking distance, and Hillier stayed firmly in contention with a 69.
One shot further back at eight under lie Laurie Canter, Robert MacIntyre, Alex Noren and Tommy Fleetwood, who thrilled the galleries with a spectacular 61-foot eagle putt at the second.
Stars in the Gallery
Away from the fairways, several high-profile names were spotted taking in the action, including Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche and Barcelona legend Andrés Iniesta, adding extra sparkle to an already elite week in Dubai.
