Pair of twins set to pair up at Zurich Classic of New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS – Parker and Pierceson Coody became the first twins to play in the same group of a PGA TOUR event last week at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. Now, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans has doubled up on that historic first.

Not just one but two sets of twin brothers will play as teams in the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a first in the history of the PGA TOUR, announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

The Coody brothers, third-generation PGA TOUR professionals, and Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard, identical twins from Denmark, have entered the Zurich Classic as sibling teams.

“All four of these young players have shown real promise for future success on the PGA TOUR, and we are excited to see how they fare together as playing partners this year,” said Worthy. “Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard have won a total of seven times on the DP World Tour, and Nicolai was on the winning European Ryder Cup team last fall , so they know what it takes to win,” added Worthy.

The Coody twins have professional golf in their DNA. Their grandfather, Charles Coody, won the 1971 Masters, one of his three victories on the PGA TOUR. When Charles played in his last Masters in 2006, his grandsons, then 6 years old, caddied for him in the Wednesday par-3 contest, with each putting on alternate holes. Pierceson made a 40-footer on the ninth and final hole.

Their father Kyle made more than 20 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and played on the Asian and Canadian tours.

Parker, 37 minutes older than Pierceson, earned his PGA TOUR card this season after finishing in the top 30 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list last year. So far this season, he has made four cuts in six tournaments he has entered, including top-25 finishes in the Farmers Insurance Open and the Mexico Open at Vidanta.

Pierceson also qualified for the PGA TOUR by scoring in the top 30 of the Korn Ferry Tour last season. While still playing the Korn Ferry Tour last year, he tied for 14th in the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.

Both followed their father’s footsteps in college, playing for the University of Texas, and both turned pro in 2022.

The Højgaard brothers turned professional in 2019 after leading Denmark to that country’s first Eisenhower Trophy in the World Amateur Team Championship. They played Foursomes together for Europe in the 2018 Junior Ryder Cup.

Rasmus became the first player born in the 21st century to graduate from the European Tour Qualifying School. He claimed his first European title right after that, winning the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in his fourth start at 18 years and 271 days old.

He has won four international titles, including the European Masters in 2021. On the PGA TOUR, he scored two top-10-finishes in 2022, with a solo sixth in the Corales Puntacana Championship and a tie for 10th in the Genesis Scottish Open.

A week after Rasmus’ third European victory, his brother Nicolai took his own first title at the Italian Open. A last-minute wild-card entry, Nicolai birdied the final hole to finish one stroke ahead of Tommy Fleetwood.

On this year’s PGA TOUR, Nicolai took sole second in the Farmers Insurance Open. Last season he posted a second at the Corales Puntacana Championship and a tie for sixth at the Genesis Scottish Open. Paired with Thorbjørn Oleson, he finished 32nd in last year’s Zurich Classic.

The Højgaards are the first brothers in the history of the DP World Tour to win titles on consecutive weeks. They also became the first twins to compete in The Open Championship in last year’s event.

Nicolai played on the victorious 2023 European Ryder Cup team. In November he won the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, firing a 64 in the final round. He is currently ranked 37th in the world.

According to PGA TOUR records, the Højgaard brothers have played together in more than one PGA TOUR event, including the PGA Championship and The Open Championship last year, but never in the same group or paired in a team event.