Niklas Nørgaard tops 2025 European Ryder Cup qualifying following his maiden victory on the DP World Tour at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo.
Played at The Belfry – host venue of four Ryder Cups in 1985, 1989, 1993 and 2002 – Denmark’s Nørgaard fired rounds of 70-66-64-72 to win by two strokes and earn the maximum 250 qualifying points available as Europe’s qualification process began last week.
Click here to see full rankings.
And when asked if making Captain Luke Donald’s team for the 2025 Ryder Cup played at Bethpage, New York, was a goal, Nørgaard said:
"100%. This is a pretty good start. But my goal from the beginning of the season was just to get to the final in Dubai (the DP World Tour Championship).
"Goals can move and adapt. But of course, it (making the European Ryder Cup team) would mean the world. But one step at a time, we have just started it [the process], so we will see."
Having hosted the drama of four Ryder Cups, The Belfry once again offered up a tense finish as Nørgaard made a double bogey seven on the par five 15th hole to cut his four-stroke lead in half.
However, the Dane held his composure on the 16th as he holed a nine-foot par putt, followed by a birdie on 17 to maintain his two-stroke lead down the last.
And when the 32-year-old tapped in for par on the iconic 18th green, his maiden DP World Tour victory was confirmed.
“Since I was ten years old, when I started playing golf, it [the DP World Tour] is what I have always been watching on TV," he told the DP World Tour.
“I have had such a slow career, but always becoming a little better every year. I have not won on the Challenge Tour, not won anything here, and then to win this tournament is quite special.
“I had to call my mental coach this morning.
“When you hold a four-shot lead, it feels like you have to protect something, and I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to play for something, really.”
Meanwhile, fellow countryman Rasmus Højgaard claims the second spot (94.00 points) in the European points race after finishing second at The Belfry – a venue where he picked up his second DP World Tour title when he won the 2020 ISPS HANDA UK Championship.
He will look to follow in his twin brother Nicolai’s footsteps, as he was part of Luke Donald’s victorious team in Rome at the 2023 Ryder Cup.
Jeong weon Ko (75.00 points), Jesper Svensson (64.00 points), Jorge Campillo (48.75 points) and Matteo Manassero (48.75 points) make up the remaining four qualification spots.
The qualification process will end at the DP World Tour tournament which concludes on Sunday August 24, 2025.
Click here to find out more about the new European Ryder Cup qualification process.
