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After a career-changing birdie blitz in the final hour of the DP World Tour season, newly-minted PGA Tour player Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen feels he belongs atop the Australian Open leaderboard through two rounds at Royal Melbourne.
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An eagle on the par-5 14th on both days at Royal Melbourne helps, too.
The Danish golfer shot to prominence last month when he made an eagle and three birdies in his final five holes at the DP World Tour Championship to go from outside the top 10 on the Race to Dubai rankings into that group who were awarded PGA Tour cards for 2026.
While waiting for the new PGA Tour season to start with the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, Neergaard-Petersen came down to Australia for the PGA and Open and play the two tournaments co-sanctioned by the European circuit. Neergaard-Petersen carded a 67 on Thursday and a 66 on Friday at Royal Melbourne to co-lead the Australian Open at nine-under-par midway through day two. He carded an eagle at the par-5 14th on Thursday and Friday. His 66 included four birdies and a bogey for a five-under scorecard.
In other words, right where he belongs.
“Well, certainly I feel like I’ve proved over the last year or so that I have the level to compete out here and be in the thick of things on Sunday,” Neergaard-Petersen said. “So right now I’m just looking forward for a nice calm afternoon and then get ready for tomorrow. I know there’s obviously a lot of golf to be played and we saw today a little bit less wind, it’s a bit more scoreable, but again, the wind could pick up at any time out here and as soon as the wind picks up, it becomes really, really difficult. So also at the same time, golf for the weekend’s just going to be to stay really patient.”
Neergaard-Petersen, 26, played college golf at Oklahoma State before becoming a three-time winner on the European secondary Challenge Tour.
In his rookie DP World Tour season last year, he befriended Australian golfer David Micheluzzi.
The Victorian gave his European mate a sneak peak at Melbourne Sandbelt golf when Neergaard-Petersen travelled to Melbourne immediately after the Dubai finale and before the Australian PGA. He played several rounds including Peninsula Kingswood.
“For me, treating that as an off week, I can’t find a lot of better things to do on a week off then to go play a really good golf courses with your mates,” he said. “I just had a good time and really been looking forward to this week.”
