In the past two seasons, Nicolai Hojgaard has quietly built momentum. In 2025, the Danish star delivered a string of high-profile top-10 finishes across both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. Stepping into 2026, he managed five top-25 finishes in just seven starts, which also helped him to get a steady climb in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Presently, he was leading the scoreboards of the 2026 Houston Open. Now he stands at T2 in Round 3 with 10 under par. And with that, he is once again knocking on the door of elite events like The Masters, which is just days away. But behind this rise is a notable shift off the tee sheet.

After previously working with Christian Christensen during his breakthrough phase, Hojgaard made a key change in mid-2025 that could define his next step. Now, the 25-year-old Danish star has Jack Clarke on the bag. And as he continues to shine bright on the greens, the focus turns to the man guiding his decisions shot-by-shot.

Jack Clarke began his journey in golf at a very young age. He first picked up the sport when he was just six. And it all happened during Saturday lessons at Three Rivers Golf Club. It started as a fun activity, but soon took a quick turn towards it being his passion. Following that, he joined Chelmsford Golf Club to nurture his passion. And after a strong career as a golfer, he stepped up to become a bagman for professional players on the PGA and LPGA Tours.

Nicolai Hojgaard joined hands with Jack Clarke back in June of 2025. After an upsetting time in his career, Hojgaard sought help from Clarke as he was aiming to get selected for the European Ryder Cup team. 

Previously, Clarke has caddied for big names on the tour, which also includes the likes of Ludvig Aberg. However, back in 2024, Aberg decided to part ways with Clarke right before his Major debut. Alongside Aberg, he was teamed up with Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Maria Sagström on the greens. Sagström is also his wife.

Now, as Hojgaard continues to flourish under the able guidance of his caddie, Clarke, let’s take a quick look at how Clarke’s career as a golfer was. 

From amateur prodigy to caddie, Nicolai Hojgaard’s bagman, Jack Clarke’s evolving journey in golf

Clarke was just 13 when he bagged the Pender Salver Trophy, and with that, which promised a good amateur career in the sport. The same year, he was selected to represent Essex at just 13. He then went on to play across multiple age groups, from under-13 to the men’s team. Adding to that, he also captained the under-18 side. After his successful stint in the amateur career, he began his journey as a pro in the sport. 

Sharing his experience from the amateur career, Clarke added, “Since 2009, my professional career has been a fantastic experience and a good one by winning many competitions but also prestigious tournaments which include the Essex Open, East Anglian PGA and Sunningdale Foursomes. After a rocky 2014-15 season, I managed to keep my playing privileges on both the Alps Tour and Europro Tour for 2016 and looking to go further in years to come.”

Soon after that, he decided that he would hang his clubs. However, he did not leave the fairways.

“In the last few years I’ve turned my services into caddying on the LPGA and PGA Tours. Since being apart of that side of the bag its been a great learning curve with great experiences along the way,” shared Clarke.

Clarke has also shared how, outside of golf, he focuses on staying fit, spending time with friends, and enjoying life. But over everything, he continues to look ahead to more opportunities in the sport.