Lucas Bjerregaard, the seasoned Danish golfer with two DP World Tour wins under his belt, is heading into this weekโs Hainan Open in China with a renewed focus on mental strength.
After a few years of ups and downs, Bjerregaard has found his groove again in 2024, notching four top-10 finishes, including a tied second at the Danish Golf Championship.
Now, with his eyes on the prize in China, heโs aiming to keep that momentum rolling.
For fans of the DP World Tour and Challenge Tour, Bjerregaard is a name to watch as the season winds down.
His two Global Tour victories in 2017 and 2018 may feel like yesterday, but his standout 2019 performanceโtaking down none other than Tiger Woods at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Playโremains etched in our memories. This week, however, Bjerregaard is all about looking forward, not back.
His recent return to form came with a solid finish at the D+D Real Czech Challenge, where he tied for 12th.
As he prepares for the Hainan Open, the first of two consecutive tournaments in China, heโs all about managing expectations and focusing on what he can control.
โOne of the reasons why I started to play better this year is because Iโve been able to manage my expectations a little bit,โ Bjerregaard said.
โIโm trying to do the same here while Iโm out in China, and focus on the things I can control.โ
This mental approach has kept Bjerregaard grinding, even when results havenโt always gone his way.
โIt has not been quite there the last few weeks but itโs getting close. There are things that I can definitely improve on this week,โ he added, hinting that serious progress could be around the corner.
Currently ranked 22nd on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, Bjerregaard is tantalizingly close to the top 20, a position that guarantees automatic promotion to the DP World Tour.
With just three events left on the Challenge Tour schedule, every round counts. The Dane has been working tirelessly on his game, particularly his driving, which he admits hasnโt been up to par.
โMy driving has not been as good as it was maybe a month ago and thatโs the main thing,โ he said. โThatโs why Iโve been working extra hard at the range this week.โ
But driving is only part of the equation in China, where the greens at Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club promise to test even the most seasoned players.
Bjerregaard knows that iron play will be crucial. โIron play is going to be the most important thing this week as the greens are tricky and controlling distance and hitting it into the right section of the green is going to be important,โ he explained.
Bjerregaard will face a strong field in China that includes five-time DP World Tour winner Alexander Levy and the Road to Mallorcaโs current number three, Joakim Lagergren.
The competition will be fierce, but with his focus on mental toughness and a sharpened game plan, Bjerregaard is looking to rise to the occasion.
Round one of the Hainan Open kicks off at 7:10 am local time, with Bjerregaard set to tee off alongside Levy and Englandโs Brandon Robinson Thompson at 12:15 pm.
As the tournament unfolds, all eyes will be on how Bjerregaardโs mental game holds up under pressure and whether he can secure those precious ranking points needed for a DP World Tour return.
