It’s not uncommon for sporting prowess to run through the family. What is unusual is for siblings to make it to the peak of their sport. BRENDAN BARRATT looks at the best siblings on golf’s main Tours.
Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard
The pride of Denmark, the identical twins made history when they won DP World Tour events in successive weeks in 2021. Now both multiple winners, the pair, who were part of the winning Eisenhower Trophy team in 2018, look set to challenge for Ryder Cup spots this year and, at age 22, are regarded very much the future of the European game.
Minjee and Min Woo Lee
The Australian brother and sister have been making waves over the past 24 months, with older sister Minjee becoming a double Major champion (2021 Evian Championship and 2022 US Women’s Open) and Min Woo winning the Scottish Open, a Rolex Series event. Min Woo recently broke into the world’s top 50, following a string of solid results on the DP World and PGA tours.
Jessica and Nelly Korda
Hailing from a ridiculously talented sporting family – their father Petr won the 1998 Australian Open tennis tournament, and their brother Sebastian is also a rising star in the tennis world – the Korda sisters have been a force to be reckoned with on the LPGA Tour. Older sister Jessica, 30, has six LPGA Tour wins to her name, but she has been overshadowed by Nelly, 24, who has collected eight wins on the LPGA Tour, including the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship. She also won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and rose to No 1 in the world ranking.
Edoardo and Francesco Molinari
Italy may not have a long list of golfing champions, but the brothers have done plenty to boost the game in their country. Older brother Edoardo is a former US Amateur champion and Ryder Cup player who won three times on the DP World Tour. This year he will be one of Luke Donald’s vice-captains when the Ryder Cup heads to Rome. Francesco will be hoping to qualify for the European team. The 40-year-old may not be in the best form but as a Major champion (2018 Open Championship) and World Golf Championships winner, he certainly has the golfing pedigree. The pair also won the World Cup of Golf for Italy in 2009.
Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick
You’re likely to have heard of reigning US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, whose win at Brookline thrust him firmly into the spotlight. His younger brother Alex, perhaps not. Alex turned pro only last year – as the No 6-ranked amateur in the world – and while professional success has not been immediately forthcoming, he is touted as a very promising player. Promising enough to win a Major like his big brother? Only time will tell.
Brooks and Chase Koepka
It’s sometimes hard to imagine that two brothers’ career trajectories could have been so different. Older brother Brooks is a four-time Major champion and one of the best golfers in the world, while Chase is a journeyman who, until recently, travelled the world playing wherever he could. Fortunately for Chase, LIV Golf came knocking on big brother Brooks’ door and it seems that a two-for-one deal was part of his signing-on agreement.
Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn
While two-time Major champion Ariya clearly has the more glittering golfing CV, both Thai sisters have collected multiple wins on the LPGA Tour, joining the Kordas and Annika and Charlotta Sorenstam as the only siblings to have done so. The pair even teamed up to win a tournament together, shooting two betterball scores of 59 en route to winning the 2021 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational by three strokes.
Ruan and Estiaan Conradie
Closer to home, South Africa has produced a heap of golfing siblings, but these days it’s just the Conradie brothers who are flying the flag on the pro circuit. Ruan won the Royal Swazi Spa Challenge in 2019 and finished in the top 30 of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit for three years, while Estiaan won the SunBet Challenge Time Square back in 2021 and has racked up 12 top-10 finishes in a six-year pro career. At 27 and 25 years old respectively the pair have got plenty of time to break through to the next level.
– This article first appeared in the May 2023 issue of Compleat Golfer magazine.
