Another Saturday has dawned at the Rocket Classic, and wouldn't you know it, the course record got a good dusting off. This time, Rasmus Hojgaard, a Dane with a serious case of the hot putter, decided Friday's 61s were just a warm-up. He launched himself to the top, looking like he’d discovered the secret handshake with Detroit Golf Club’s greens before the main event even kicked off.
At a sprightly 25, Hojgaard is still hunting that elusive first PGA Tour win. He’s been busy collecting five on the DP World Tour, which is nice, but let's be honest, it's not quite the same as the big leagues. Still, his 12-under-par standing after 54 holes gives him a comfortable two-shot cushion over the likes of Patrick Cantlay and Cameron Young. I imagine they’re currently having a good hard think about their life choices and maybe those pre-round philosophical tenets.
His 61, a personal best on the PGA Tour, was a thing of beauty. Nine birdies, zero bogeys – the man was practically untouchable. He drained a putt that must have stretched longer than my last holiday at the perilous 16th, and then, with a shrug and a wink, ‘got away with’ a wild drive on the notoriously tricky 17th. Sometimes, I guess, the golf gods favor the prepared… or maybe just the spectacularly lucky.
Frankly, Hojgaard’s form coming into this week wasn’t exactly screaming “future champion.” He’d missed two cuts in a row and was sitting so far down the playoff standings, most folks would be contemplating a career change. But here he is, proving that golf, much like life, is a fickle beast. One minute you’re licking your wounds, the next you’re basking in glory. And as a bonus, his twin brother Nicolai is also in the mix, a gentle reminder that family sporting genes are a wonderful, baffling thing.