Niklas Norgaard wins the 2024 British Masters
September 01, 2024
Norgaard finished with a closing round of 72 at The Belfry, ending the tournament at 16 under par, two shots ahead of South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence. The 32-year-old Dane started the day with a four-shot lead, but saw it cut to just one stroke after a difficult front nine where he made the turn in 37. Lawrence, his playing partner, birdied the 10th and 11th holes, putting further pressure on Norgaard.
However, Norgaard responded brilliantly with a crucial birdie on the par-three 12th, while Lawrence missed the green and subsequently failed to sink a short par putt. This two-shot swing put Norgaard back ahead by three shots. He then extended his lead with another long birdie putt on the 14th, restoring his overnight cushion, only to encounter trouble on the 15th hole.
From just off the green on the par five, Norgaard fluffed three consecutive chip shots—his last effort moving just a few inches—before two-putting from the fringe for a double-bogey seven. This mistake halved his lead and gave Lawrence an opportunity to close the gap. Lawrence left a long eagle putt just two feet from the hole on the 17th, but Norgaard showed great composure, sinking a 10-foot birdie putt to maintain a two-shot advantage.
A steady par on the 18th secured Norgaard’s victory, making him the third Danish player to win the British Masters, following in the footsteps of Thomas Bjørn in 2005 and Thorbjørn Olesen in 2022.
Norgaard's compatriot, Rasmus Højgaard, made a remarkable charge up the leaderboard with a final round of 65, finishing in third place at 12 under par. France’s Jeong Weon Ko finished one shot further back, hampered by a double-bogey on the last hole.
Reflecting on his triumph, Norgaard said, "You have no idea how much it means. I’ve been dreaming of this since I was 10 years old. I’ve had a long career, slowly progressing every year. I’ve never won on the Challenge Tour or anything like that, so to win here as my first victory feels incredible."
The victory celebrations were capped off with Norgaard being doused in champagne by his fellow players. "I was trying not to think about it too much, but this morning I was so nervous I almost threw up at breakfast," he admitted.
"After making the putt on the 14th, I felt in a really good place, but I think I got a bit ahead of myself. I was thinking about making birdie on the 15th to extend my lead to five shots, and that’s what got to me. I wasn't that nervous, just sometimes I'm really bad at chipping, but fortunately, I made a few crucial putts coming in. I'm really proud of how I bounced back."
When asked about winning the first Ryder Cup qualifying event, Norgaard added, "I didn’t even realise it was a qualifier! It’s a fantastic start. The Ryder Cup is definitely the ultimate goal, but I’ve been focusing on making it into the final event of the season this year. Getting into the top 50 on the Race to Dubai has been my aim, and I think this win should secure that now."