PGA TOUR rookie Rasmus Højgaard earned the final spot in the Truist Championship – and it came at the expense of his twin brother.

Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard teamed for a runner-up finish at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the second of three events comprising the Aon Swing 5 for the Truist (the top five FedExCup points earners across the Corales Puntacana Championship, Zurich Classic and THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, not otherwise exempt). That put both in a good position to qualify for this week’s Truist Championship at The Philadelphia Cricket Club, but neither was a sure thing based on how THE CJ CUP results played out. Both could qualify, both could miss, or the Aon Swing 5 could split between them.

That final option played out at THE CJ CUP, with Rasmus Højgaard placing 48th to finish No. 5 on the Aon Swing 5 and qualify for his third Signature Event of the year. Rasmus Højgaard played his final five holes in 1-under at TPC Craig Ranch to finish three strokes clear of Nicolai, who placed T56 at 6-under. It was a rough Sunday for Rasmus Højgaard (the younger twin by a minute), who began the final round in seventh place but was 5-over through 13 holes, yet he steadied the ship to earn a tee time this week at The Philadelphia Cricket Club, the historic A.W. Tillinghast design which will host the PGA TOUR for the first time.

Rasmus Højgaard now has a golden opportunity to rack up FedExCup points at the Truist, a no-cut event which offers FedExCup points to all finishers. Rasmus Højgaard enters the week at No. 72 on the FedExCup standings, with the top 70 after the Wyndham Championship in August qualifying for the first of three FedExCup Playoffs events. (Nicolai Højgaard stands No. 76 on the FedExCup.) The top 50 after the first FedExCup Playoffs event will qualify for all Signature Events in 2026, and the top 100 on the FedExCup Fall standings after The RSM Classic in November will earn fully exempt PGA TOUR membership in 2026.

Rasmus Højgaard, who earned his 2025 PGA TOUR card at No. 1 on the 2024 DP World Tour Eligibility Ranking, is one of six rookies who stand inside the top 100 on the FedExCup through THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. He’s the only rookie in the Truist field, while several more rookies will play this week’s ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic (an Additional Event) for crucial FedExCup points in the race to both qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs and retain status.

Here's a look at the six PGA TOUR rookies inside the top 100 on the FedExCup after THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson:

1. Karl Vilips (No. 56). Vilips popped with a win at the Puerto Rico Open in just his third TOUR start as a member after being sidelined to begin the season due to a back injury. He added a T4 finish at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside his former Stanford teammate Michael Thorbjornsen, where the duo was in serious contention for the title until a water ball on the 17th hole Sunday in the Foursomes (alternate shot) format. With his Puerto Rico Open victory, Vilips is fully exempt on TOUR through 2027 and doesn’t need to worry about the top-100 cutoff after the FedExCup Fall. He can fully focus his efforts on qualifying for the FedExCup Playoffs and playing his way into next year’s Signature Events.

2. Danny Walker (No. 59). After earning his first TOUR card in dramatic fashion at last fall’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance, sweating out the bubble on the season’s final day, Walker shined at THE PLAYERS Championship in March; he earned a tee time Thursday morning as an alternate and proceeded to finish a career-best T6. Overall, the eighth-year pro has notched four top-25 finishes in 12 starts and is on steady ground to chase a FedExCup Playoffs berth.

3. Isaiah Salinda (No. 65). Like Vilips, he’s a rookie by way of Stanford who hasn’t found much trouble acclimating to the learning curve on TOUR. Salinda broke out with a third-place finish at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld, just one stroke off a playoff, with his final-round 65 proving he has no trouble handling the Sunday spotlight at this level. Salinda has made eight cuts in 11 starts overall – also adding a T8 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside fellow rookie and San Francisco-area native Kevin Velo, where the duo carded an opening-round, tournament-record 58 in the Four-ball format.

4. Aldrich Potgieter (No. 66). Last year, the prodigious South African became the youngest TOUR-sanctioned winner since 1931, winning the Korn Ferry Tour’s Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club at age 19. He proceeded to become the second-youngest player to earn a TOUR card via the Korn Ferry Tour, behind Jason Day, and he nearly became a TOUR winner at this year’s Mexico Open at VidantaWorld, finishing runner-up to Brian Campbell in a playoff. Potgieter has made just three cuts in 11 starts overall, but high finishes go a long way in the FedExCup race – as evidenced by his solid position.

5. Rasmus Højgaard (No. 72). A year after finishing No. 11 on the 2023 DP World Tour Eligibility Ranking (with 10 TOUR cards available), Højgaard earned decisive redemption in 2024, winning the Amgen Irish Open en route to the top spot on the ranking – and not only strong TOUR membership but a spot in two early-season Signature Events (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational). The Denmark native has made seven cuts in 10 starts as a TOUR rookie with three top-25 finishes, highlighted by a Zurich Classic runner-up alongside his twin brother Nicolai Højgaard, which spearheaded Rasmus Højgaard’s ascent into the No. 5 spot on the Aon Swing 5 for this week’s Truist Championship.

6. Ricky Castillo (No. 92). The University of Florida product entered the spotlight at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, finding the first page of the leaderboard Sunday at TPC Craig Ranch en route to a T5 finish – nearly qualifying for the Truist via the Aon Swing 5. Castillo finished No. 9 on the 2023 PGA TOUR University Ranking to earn Korn Ferry Tour membership, won his first Korn Ferry Tour start as a member that summer and earned his first TOUR card at No. 26 on the Korn Ferry Tour season-long standings. He has made nine cuts in 13 starts as a TOUR rookie and is within striking distance of a FedExCup Playoffs berth.