It was in an Irish-style bar in Palma de Mallorca, practically on the seafront, very close to the port. November 2021. The Challenge Tour season had ended and the circuit, a great detail, invited everyone, players, volunteers, employees, field staff, caddies and even journalists to the end-of-course party. Very pleasant. Food, drink and music. What more do you need.
The joint had two floors. All wooden and with that smell… Yes, that smell of an Irish pub. It wasn’t easy to get to the end. There was quite a lot of people and you had to snake between groups and dance friends to get to the end and go up to the quieter upstairs. The matter gets even more complicated when a two-meter tower stands right in front of you. We take his license plate. He must be a player. It was easier to jump over him than to go around him. Body of an Olympic champion in the 100-meter butterfly.
Upon arriving upstairs, not without effort, the first thing is to ask Ángel Hidalgo. Because Ángel Hidalgo knows everything. Or almost. “Excuse me, I need to know, do you know who the built-in wardrobe down there that looks like a mix between Ivan Drago and Henrik Stenson is?”. Ángel doesn’t blink. He doesn’t need more references. “Of course, man, it’s Niklas, a very good guy and a super player. He smashes it. He’s going to make it for sure…”, he says.
Niklas is Norgaard, by surname, and he has arrived. Boy, has he arrived. The Danish golfer, in full positive evolution since he landed on the DP World Tour from the Challenge, is having a great year and this Sunday he will go out as the leader of the Betfred British Masters with a four-stroke lead in pursuit of his first victory on the European Circuit. He added two in the Nordic League in 2019 and 2020 and since then his best result has been a second in the Soudal Open this same year, where the Spaniard Nacho Elvira won.
Norgaard’s golf does justice to his physique. He goes very long. He smashes it from the tee with hardly any effort and his irons seem like they’re never going to stop falling. Thus, hitting hard and being very brave, he has starred in a show at Belfry today. He has handed in a card of 64 strokes and has put land in between. He has made nine birdies and one bogey. He has played very well, but his best aspect this Saturday, by far, has been the putt. Huge. He has put them in of all colours. “Yes, today I put in a lot. Interestingly, I had been suffering this season on the greens, but today everything came out”. Everything is everything. He has put in more than 40 meters of putt, including two key ones, one for par of five meters on the 13th and another for birdie on the 14th from the first cut of rough from about 13 meters. There he has launched his round. He finished with four birdies in the last five holes, even though he made a quite avoidable bogey on the 17th.
Norgaard faces a big test of fire this Sunday. He has been close to victory several times this year, but has not won. In his record there are also six second places in the Nordic League, so he is not a seasoned champion either. He himself admits that he is going to be nervous, which is already something in his favour, as he knows what he is going to face. However, the worst thing is undoubtedly that a fierce, unpleasant enemy is coming from behind. In second position is the South African Thriston Lawrence (-12), who comes from winning in South Africa last weekend and who has shown in his career that he knows how to win. Today he finished with four birdies in the last four holes. “My only plan on Sunday is to be aggressive”, warns Lawrence. Everything points to a head-to-head between the two of them. In third position, already six strokes behind, is Jeong Weon Ko (-10).
Those who will not be in contention for the victory are Tyrrell Hatton (-6) and Jorge Campillo (-6). Both came out in the star match and were the big favourites to win after Friday’s round, but we already know how golf works. It has given the impression that they have been infecting each other. Hatton started first to play badly, to fail from the tee and with the irons and Campillo did the same from hole 10. From there it has cost him. Three bogeys have fallen, he has saved two other delicate situations and he has hardly left clear birdie options.
The good thing is that, beyond Norgaard, who has escaped, the Extremaduran still has a very good position in Belfry within reach. He is seventh, only four strokes from third place. Victory seems impossible, unless he signs a stratospheric round of golf and receives indispensable help from Norgaard and Lawrence. Finally, Ángel Hidalgo (-1) spoiled what was being a great round of golf and Sebas García (+4) had a bad day.
