Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard have gone about earning their way to the PGA TOUR in slightly different ways. Since they’re identical twins, however, that might be the only thing different about them.

They combined their golfing skills into a record-tying performance at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and the start of an already special week couldn’t have gone any better.

The twin team matched the previously set Four-ball scoring record at TPC Louisiana with a tidy 13-under 59. The record was broken in the afternoon shortly after the Højgaards finished, with rookies Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo carding a 14-under 58.

The twins had almost mirror images of their scoring efforts Thursday, with Nicolai making seven birdies and Rasmus making six, including three in a row on Nos. 7-9. Nicolai went on his own birdie run three holes prior as the brothers shot 28 on their second nine.

Rasmus rifled his tee shot on the par-3 ninth, their final hole of the day, to just 6 feet from 213 yards away and rolled in the birdie putt to tie the record, previously held by Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele in 2022 – the year they won the tournament.

The twins talked about taking advantage of solid scoring conditions, and they did exactly that.

“It started out being perfect conditions,” Nicolai said. “The only thing was, even though we played with if you clean the ball or pick and clean, you still get a little bit less spin on the fairway, so it was still a little bit wet, so you didn't have to control it as such. But there were a few holes where the sun came out and you had perfect conditions. But there's barely any wind and we took advantage of that to start with.”

The twins teed it up together a year ago and opened with a 68 but would go on to miss the cut.

Rasmus admitted Thursday that in 2024 they had “high expectations” about going out on the opening day and “making a ton of birdies,” which didn’t end up happening. That was, he said, the wrong mindset to go in with.

“Today we didn’t think too much about getting a certain score or anything,” Rasmus said. “It was more about creating a good vibe and create chances out there – and then we both rolled the putter well."

Rasmus secured his first PGA TOUR card at No. 1 on the DP World Tour Eligibility Ranking (the top 10 players on the Race to Dubai, not otherwise exempt, earned TOUR membership while Nicolai earned PGA TOUR Special Temporary Membership in April 2023.

The twins have both had celebrated careers on the DP World Tour, with Rasmus winning five times (the first coming when he was just 18) and Nicolai winning three times (his first came at age 20). Two weeks ago, they became the first set of twins to play in the same Masters Tournament.

This is an important week for both twins as they are outside the top 100 in the FedExCup standings with Rasmus at No. 104 and Nicolai at No. 116. Rasmus’ best finish so far this year is a T12, which came at the WM Phoenix Open, while Nicolai’s is an eighth at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld.

There’s still lots of golf left in New Orleans, but the twins have not only put themselves in a great position to notch a great result but potentially win the whole thing.

“We had good fun today,” Nicolai said.

Rasmus, of course, felt the same.