Danish Golf Championship 2024 Preview, Picks & Analysis

Rasmus Hojgaard will defend his title at the Danish Golf Championship (formerly the Made in Himmerland) at Lübker Golf Resort and says he cannot wait.

He said: “I think Lübker is an excellent choice, and I am confident that the players, both Danish and international, will enjoy the course and venue. It is a top-class golf facility that I am familiar with, and I am excited to defend my title in front of the world’s best fans next summer."

Rasmus' twin brother Nicolai is also part of the field this week.

Lübker Golf Resort is a new venue for the DP World Tour but has previously hosted the Challenge Tour, ECCO Tour, and European Tour Q-School, with Flemming Astrup and GolfPromote as organisers, and it will be the same when the rebranded Danish Golf Championship takes place for the first time in 2024.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Bernd Wiesberger is a two-time champion here. He defected to LIV Golf but, somewhat surprisingly, it didn’t work out for him and is once again plying his trade on the DP World Tour after paying the relevant fines. He made a slow start but there have been some encouraging signs of late.

The Austrian remains a glorious ball striker but has struggled on the greens in recent times.

He is an eight-time winner on the DP World Tour, claiming three titles in 2019, but his most recent victory came in this event three years ago.

He missed the cut at the Scottish Open but was tied second at the European Open and tied seventh at the KLM Open and there have been three other top-20 finishes.

Having been taught by his father, he underlined his potential by winning the Austrian Amateur Stroke Play Championship three years running from 2004, before turning professional in 2006.

Wiesberger won twice in France on the Challenge Tour in 2010 to rubber-stamp his ascent onto the European Tour. He claimed his first European Tour title at the Ballantine's Championship in 2012, quickly followed by the Lyoness Open.

The Austrian won the Open de France in 2015 and Shenzhen International in 2017 before a wrist injury forced him to take a six-month break from golf.

He became a multiple Rolex Series champion in 2019 when he sealed victory at the Scottish Open, overcoming Frenchman Benjamin Hebert on the third play-off hole at The Renaissance Club, and the Italian Open later that year. His two Rolex Series victories - and a third win of the year at Made in Denmark presented by FREJA - helped the Austrian to a career-best third place finish in the Race to Dubai.

He successfully defended a title for the first time in his career as he won 2021 Made in HimmerLand, cruising to a five-stroke victory and an eighth European Tour title.

And he became the first player from Austria to represent his nation at the Ryder Cup when he made his debut at Whistling Straits in 2021. It was a week to forget for Wiesberger and the European team, who were soundly beaten by the USA.

He will believe that he still has the game to win, and his recent form would suggest that he may well be correct. 

For many golfers this is an important time of the season. We all spend a great deal of time focusing on winners but a whole host of golfers will be starting to worry about retaining their tour cards. And, as usual, there are some well-known golfers who are currently on the outside looking in.

Only the top 116 will be guaranteed to be teeing it up when everything kicks off again after the Dubai World Championship.

Among the previous winners who are yet to book their tickets are Ryder Cup hero Jamie Donaldson and Tom Lewis.

Apart from a tied eighth at the European Open, Lewis has had a miserable season, missing five cuts and failing to go low at the weekend too many times.

He comes from Welwyn Garden City, and was a member of the same club as Sir Nick Faldo. He was named after his father’s golfing hero, and the man he shared the tee with in his famous first round at the 2011 Open, Tom Watson.

Lewis played a part in the successful 2011 Walker Cup team shortly before turning professional and shot to fame at The 140th Open Championship after posting the lowest score by an amateur in Open history in the first round at Royal St George’s, eventually winning the Silver Medal as the leading amateur.

He looked to have the world at his feet when he won his maiden European Tour title in only his third professional start in Portugal after a stunning final round 65, becoming the then joint-third quickest Affiliate Member to win on the European Tour.

Having lost his card he won it back in 2016 Qualifying School, and regained it again in 2018 after winning the Portugal Masters for the second time to claim his second European Tour victory.

In September 2019, Lewis won the Korn Ferry Tour Championship and earned a PGA Tour card for the 2019-20 season. It was his first career Korn Ferry start, qualifying for the Finals by earning enough points as a PGA Tour non-member.

He was runner-up in August 2020 at the WGC FedEx St Jude Invitational, three behind Justin Thomas. But he lost his card and has been in something of a downward spiral ever since.

Having lost his DP World Tour card as well, he went back to qualifying school in 2023 and won it back once again, but he has been unable to cash in and now faces an anxious few weeks.