Thorbjørn Olesen

JOINED TOUR

• PGA TOUR: 2013
• Korn Ferry Tour: 2015

International Victories (7)

• 2010 The Princess [EurChall]
• 2012 Sicilian Open [Eur]
• 2014 Perth International [Eur]
• 2015 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship [Eur]
• 2016 Turkish Airlines Open [Eur]
• 2018 Italian Open [Eur]
• 2022 Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett

Additional Victories (1)

• 2016 ISPS HANDA World Cup [with Soren Kjeldsen].

National Teams

• 2018 Ryder Cup
• 2013 Seve Trophy
• 2016 Summer Olympics
• 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018 World Cup

Personal

• Is a big soccer fan, who shares his rooting interests between FC Copenhagen and Manchester United.
• Is close friends with Soren Hansen and plays a lot of practice rounds with the player he calls his idol.
• For many years, was known as Jacob but dropped his given name and went with his middle name because it is far less common in Denmark.

Special Interests

• Soccer, basketball, movies, food, skiing

Career Highlights

2019 Season

• World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions: Posted his second consecutive top-10 in a World Golf Championships event with a T7 at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions.

2018 Season

• Ryder Cup: Claimed the final automatic qualification spot for the European Team and made his Ryder Cup debut at Le Golf National in Paris, France. Went 1-1-0 and helped the European Team to a 17.5-10.5 victory over the United States. Capped off the week with a 5&4 victory against Jordan Spieth in Sunday Singles.
• Made In Denmark: Finished T20 at Made In Denmark and claimed the final automatic qualification spot for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup with the result.
• World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational: Birdied three of his final five holes to tie Dustin Johnson for third place at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. Marked his first top-10 on TOUR since a T10 at the same event in 2017.
• BMW International Open: Carded an 11-under 61 in his final round of the BMW International Open and finished runner-up with two others at 9-under. His final-round 61 was the lowest round in the event's history and it tied the lowest round of the season. He started the day seven shots back, but his bogey-free round that included nine birdies and an eagle, catapulted him up the leaderboard. He birdied five of his final six holes to close in 7-under 29. Recorded the lowest round of his European Tour career.
• Italian Open: Earned his fifth European Tour victory in his 198th appearance and claimed his first Rolex Series victory. Closed with a bogey-free final round of 64 at Gardagolf CC and finished with a one shot lead over Francesco Molinari. Became the first Dane to win the Italian Open.

2017 Season

• PGA Championship: Opened the PGA Championship with a first-round 4-under 67 to equal his best round in five PGA Championship starts (R4-2014). His previous sub-70 scores in 14 rounds at the PGA Championship came in the final round (2012, 2013, 2014). Shared the first-round lead with Kevin Kisner. Went on to post rounds of 78-71-72 to finish T44.
• World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational: Dropped four shots in the last five holes of the first round at WGC-Bridgestone Invitational to shoot 3-over 73 and sit T53 in the 76-player field. Rallied with rounds of 70-67-65 to finish T10. Ranked No. 1 in total distance of putts made for the week with 416' 6".
• ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf: Teamed with Soren Kjeldsen to win the ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf for Denmark's first-ever win at the 58th edition of the historic event at Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, in late-November. The Danish team finished at 20 under par for the week, highlighted by a second-round, foursomes/best-ball 12-under-par 60.

2016 Season

European Tour 2016 campaign highlighted by a victory and two runner-up finishes. Turned in an impressive European Tour stretch, with three top-10 finishes in five starts. Season included five starts on the PGA TOUR. Missed the cut in both major championship starts.

• Olympic Men's Golf Competition: Represented Denmark when golf returned to the Olympics for the first time since 1904 in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Finished T30 in 60-player field.
• PGA Championship: Missed the cut at the PGA Championship.
• The Open Championship: Missed the cut at The Open Championship.
• BMW International Open: T2 at the BMW International Open (finishing three strokes behind champion Henrik Stenson).
• Irish Open: T10 at the Irish Open.
• Shenzhen International: Finished T8 at the Shenzhen International.
• Commercial Bank Qatar Masters: Finished runner-up at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
• Turkish Airlines Open: Won the Turkish Airlines Open by three strokes over David Horsey and Haotong Li. Week highlighted by a second-round 62, which was followed by a third-round 69 for an insurmountable seven-stroke lead heading into the final round. With the victory, became the second Dane (Thomas Bjorn) to win a European Tour event for three consecutive European Tour seasons.
• Omega Dubai Desert Classic: Came back the following week with a T8 finish at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, highlighted by a second-round 8-under 64. At 14-under 274, finished five strokes behind champion Danny Willett.
• Commercial Bank Qatar Masters: Posted a four-day total of 12-under 276 to finish T2 at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, two strokes behind champion Branden Grace. Grabbed a share of the lead midway through the front nine, but a bogey on the eighth hole followed by nine straight pars ended his chance for victory.
• World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions: A T19 at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions was his best PGA TOUR finish.

2015 Season

• Alfred Dunhill Links Championship: Won his third career European Tour title in his 130th European Tour event at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October in Scotland. Finished the week at 18-under par, two strokes clear of Brooks Koepka and Chris Stroud. on his third career European Tour title in his 130th European Tour event at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October in Scotland. Finished the week at 18-under par, two strokes clear of Brooks Koepka and Chris Stroud.

2014 Season

Played in 14 PGA TOUR events, making six cuts.

• the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance: Lone top-10 came at the Memorial Tournament in June, a T8.
• Made in Denmark: Final top-10 was a T7 at the Made in Denmark in August.
• Omega Dubai Desert Classic: Sandwiched rounds of 71 around second- and third-round 68-65 to T5 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
• The Commercial Bank Qatar Masters: Added three top-10s on the European Tour, with two coming on back-to-back weeks in the Middle East. Shot three 68s and a second-round 69 at The Commercial Bank Qatar Masters to T3.

2013 Season

Made six of 11 cuts on TOUR, with two top-10s. Earned enough non-member FedExCup points during the season to achieve Special Temporary Membership. Parlayed that into a top-125 finish on the non-member FedExCup points list to earn his TOUR card for the 2013-2014 season.

• PGA Championship: Only other made cut in a major championship came at the PGA Championship (T40 after missing the cut at the U.S. Open and The Open Championship).
• Masters Tournament: Finished T6 at the Masters Tournament in his first career start at Augusta National. It was his second top-10 in a major in four career starts (also T9 at the 2012 Open Championship).
• Shell Houston Open: On the day before the start of the Shell Houston Open, was in a four-car crash on the freeway and suffered whiplash. Played in the first round, shot an 82 and withdrew due to back pain and headaches.
• Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard: Finished seventh at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in his first career start at Bay Hill.
• IPS Handa Perth International: Highlight of the year was his October victory at the IPS Handa Perth International on the PGA TOUR of Australasia. Rolled to a three-shot victory over Victor Dubuisson after opening 64-69-67 and then turning in a steady 71 on the final day.
• Johnnie Walker Championship: Shot four rounds in the 60s at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in late-August to finish solo ninth in Scotland.
• Omega Dubai Desert Classic: Opened 67-66-67 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic but could only come up with a final-round 71 to T3, five shots behind winner Stephen Gallacher.
• Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship: A year after recording a T8 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, he came within a stroke of winning the event at Abu Dhabi GC. Entered the final round tied for second, two strokes behind leader Justin Rose. Had a double bogey on the sixth hole Sunday but rallied with three back-nine birdies, including a birdie at the 17th hole. Missed a birdie putt on the 72nd hole that would have forced a playoff with eventual winner Jamie Donaldson.

2012 Season

• Alfred Dunhill Links Championship: Opened the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with a 9-under 63 at Kingsbarn GL at the three-course event on the European Tour. Still trailed Branden Grace by three shots after 18 holes. Finished with four rounds in the 60s but fell two shots short of Grace, finishing solo second.
• Lyoness Open: Looked poised to win his second European Tour event. Opened 64-68-68 at the Lyoness Open in Atzenbrugg, Austria. Stumbled to a final-round, 2-over 74 at Diamond CC to T4.
• Royal Lytham & St Annes: One year after missing the cut in his Open Championship debut, finished T9 at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
• Open de Espana: Was solo fifth at the Open de Espana in early May in Spain, with back-to-back 70s on the weekend at Real Club de Golf de Sevilla.
• Sicilian Open: Won on the European Tour for the first time when he shot four rounds in the 60s at the Sicilian Open. Was one of seven players a stroke off the 36-hole lead held by six players. Shot a third-round 67 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round and then held off Chris Wood, who fired a tournament-record 64, to win by one stroke. The victory moved him to No. 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking, the first time he has cracked the top 100 on the list.
• Avantha Masters: Shot weekend rounds of 70 at the Avantha Masters to finish T6 in New Delhi, India, four strokes behind winner Jbe Kruger.
• Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship: Opened his season with a T8 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

2011 Season

A year after recording two second-place showings, he had three more close calls, finishing as runner-up three times.

• OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup: Was a surprise member of the Denmark OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup team. After Thomas Bjiorn withdrew because of injury, Anders Hansen selected him as his teammate, where the duo T13.
• The Open Championship: In his PGA TOUR debut, he missed the cut at The Open Championship.
• Alfred Dunhill Championship: Finished runner-up at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December 2010, at the BMW Italian Open in June and at the Alstom Open de France in July. At the Alfred Dunhill Championship, at Leopard Creek CC in South Africa, his opening 54-hole score was at 3-under, then he shot a 6-under 66 Sunday to put pressure on Pablo Martin before finally finishing two strokes back.
• South African Open: Only other top-10 outside his three runner-up finishes was a ninth-place showing at the South African Open in December 2010.
• Le Golf National: A month later, at Le Golf National in Paris, he opened with a 66 then followed with rounds of 71-71-70 only to fall a stroke behind winner Thomas Levet.
• Royal Park I Roveri: In Italy, at Royal Park I Roveri, he shot a final-round 62 (nine birdies and an eagle along with a par-5 bogey-6). He began the day tied for 20th, six strokes behind eventual winner Robert Rock and ended up losing by a stroke.

2010 Season

• M2M Russian Challenge Cup: His final runner-up finish of the year came in Russia, at the M2M Russian Challenge Cup, tied with Fleetwood and Matt Ford, a stroke behind Carlos Del Moral, in Moscow.
• Mugello Tuscany Open: In May, at the Mugello Tuscany Open, also on the Challenge Tour, he made it into a playoff with Floris De Vries before falling on the first extra hole.
• English Challenge: Held a four-stroke lead over Tommy Fleetwood going into Sunday's final round at the Challenge Tour's English Challenge in Colchester, Essex, England. A final-round, 2-over 74 dropped him into a solo-fourth finish, two back of Daniel Gaunt.
• The Princess: Broke through with his first professional victory, winning The Princess on the European Challenge Tour, finishing third on the Challenge Tour rankings and earning his European Tour playing privileges. Was three strokes ahead entering the final round of The Princess and shot a 1-under 70 to edge Peter Gustafsson at Bastad GC in Bastad, Sweden, by two strokes.
• Allianz Golf Open de Lyon: Contended for a second consecutive week, in France, at the Allianz Golf Open de Lyon before settling for a T3.

2009 Season

• SK Golf Challenge: His other top-10 finish came on the European Challenge Tour, a T5 at the SK Golf Challenge, two strokes behind winner Nicolas Colsaerts.
• SAS Masters: Had his first European Tour top-10, a T4 at the SAS Masters. Opened 73-72-75 before a final-round 68 moved him up the leaderboard.

2008 Season

• The Dubliner Challenge: In his only other start on the season, he was T34 at The Dubliner Challenge.
• Ecco Tour Championship: Made his professional debut at the Ecco Tour Championship in August on the European Challenge Tour. Was T53.