Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen plays in the Challenge Tour Final for the love of the game. Or rather, for self-love. He wouldn’t need to be in Majorca, as besides securing his DP World Tour card through the Challenge, he has also managed to secure his rights through the Race to Dubai. This latter route gives him a better category for the coming season.
So, indeed, the Dane wouldn’t have to be in this tournament. However, he has pride and ambition. He is second in the year’s ranking and wants to win it. Bravo. The effort has been remarkable, not least because last week he was competing in Korea, on the other side of the world. It speaks volumes of a very winning mentality: “It would be the perfect finishing touch to a magical season,” Rasmus tells Ten Golf. His participation in the tournament is appreciated, as it adds even more shine to this great year-end final.
What the Dane didn’t know is that he is the first player in history to achieve something unique: winning three times on the Challenge Tour, moving up to the DP World Tour, and having time in the same year to retain the first division card through the Race to Dubai. A true feat beyond the reach of anyone over thirty years old. “Well, I didn’t know, it’s a great thrill, the truth is I’ve won two cards in one season. It’s been a spectacular year, hopefully, I can finish it off here by winning the ranking, it would be the perfect season,” says the player trained at Oklahoma State University.
No one has achieved it. That’s a fact. The closest was Brooks Koepka in 2013. Quite something. He also won three times and finished the Race in 114th place, just outside. That year, the card was retained up to 110th. “It’s nice to see yourself compared to people like that and I’m really looking forward to next season,” although behind the scenes he also acknowledges that the year has been very long and he needs to rest.
What is most surprising, however, is the ambition he has and the naturalness with which he expresses it. He is not at all arrogant or overbearing. He simply says what he thinks. It’s true that this year, in just a few months, he has retained the card there, but one might think of a 2025 of transition, of adaptation to the DP World Tour. Ha! The Nordic already has his next goal in mind: “It’s none other than trying to win on the European Tour, that’s the next step and along with that, I would undoubtedly want to be in the fight for one of the PGA Tour cards.” He has only played six tournaments as a member of the European Tour and is already thinking about crossing the pond. The Dane is going all out and, if his predictions come true, no one should dare to rule out the Ryder Cup at Bethpage.
