Rasmus Højgaard is hopeful he can maintain momentum on a happy hunting ground at the Omega European Masters as he seeks a strong finish on the Race to Dubai.
The Dane is on course for a career-high finish in the Rankings, currently sitting 12th after two previous best finishes of 16th in both 2020 and 2022, although the season-long standings brought heartache last year.
A highly respectable 18th-placed finish may have continued the remarkable consistency shown by Højgaard since his two-win breakout season four years ago but it also saw him miss out on dual membership with the PGA TOUR by one place.
Undeterred, he started 2024 with four consecutive top-11 finishes, adding another two top fives including a third-placed result last week at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo.
And now free of the shoulder and rib issues the plagued him in 2023, he is looking to continue to star on the Back 9 at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, where he won this title in 2021.
“It’s good now,” he said. “I’m glad I’m back playing so I’m looking forward to this long stretch.
“I feel good, it was nice to play some good golf last week.
“This is one of the weeks I look the most forward to so I’m looking forward to the week.”
He started the final round three years ago in a tie for 15th, four shots off the lead, but carded a bogey-free 63 with three birdies and an eagle in his last six holes to win by one.
The altitude and undulation in the stunning Swiss Alps presents a unique challenge this week but Højgaard knows what he will need to do to take the title again.
“At the moment I’m trying to keep the ball as straight as possible so I’ve probably taken a bit of speed off,” he said.
“There’s not a lot of drivers out here so you just try to keep the ball in play as much as possible.
“There’s a lot of short irons and wedges in so the main focus is to play some of the hard holes good and there’s always going to be some birdie chances out there.”