Thorbjorn Olesen could have hardly asked for a better start at the Open de France, with the Dane making seven birdies on his way to posting a six under par round of 65 at Le Golf National.
Thorbjorn Olesen went into the Open de France off the back of a brilliant week at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. While it was Tyrrell Hatton who won the main prize at St Andrews on Sunday, Olesen won the pro-am crown alongside Dermot Desmond.
And it seems that he has taken that form with him across the Channel. Olesen made five birdies on the front nine on his way to shooting 65 to leave him at the top of the leaderboard alongside Englishman Joe Dean.
Le Golf National has certainly gained a reputation since hosting the Ryder Cup in 2018. The American team struggled to get to grips with the course due to the thick rough which certainly penalised wayward drives.
Thorbjorn Olesen left surprised after his opening round at the Open de France
The rough was not quite as brutal at the Olympics earlier this year, but there were still some big scores out there, with Frenchman Mathieu Pavon finishing on 13 over par.
So there would have been real concerns when the weather took a turn for the worse on Wednesday ahead of the opening round. The last thing the players probably needed was for the rough to become even thicker for Thursday.
But it seems that any concerns about how the course would hold up were misguided. Speaking after his impressive opening round, Olesen suggested that he was so impressed by Le Golf National.
“Yeah, first of all with all the rain we had yesterday, I think it was 24 hours of constant rain. So it was pretty amazing to get out this morning. I think the course held up amazingly. I’m surprised,” he said.
“I think I played four holes before today this week. So I’m very happy with a 65 to start with.”
Some unfinished business at Le Golf National after the 2018 Ryder Cup
Olesen may perhaps feel that he has somewhat unfinished business at Le Golf National. He finished last year’s event in a tie for 10th, six shots off Ryo Hisatsune.
But it is also the course where Olesen made his one appearance to date in the Ryder Cup, as he qualified automatically for Thomas Bjorn’s team. A win at that year’s Italian Open certainly played an important role in booking his ticket to France.
There appeared to be a good opportunity for Olesen to potentially play a prominent role as he was the only Dane on Bjorn’s team. And being paired with Rory McIlroy for the opening session was certainly a good sign.
However, Olesen would then sit out the next three sessions. While it was McIlroy who really struggled that Friday morning, Bjorn was never going to rest Europe’s talisman, and thus, it seemed that Olesen was the one to suffer.
He would prove a point by beating Jordan Spieth in the singles on Sunday to play his part in ensuring that every European player won at least one point that week.
Perhaps more Sunday success at Le Golf National lies ahead for Olesen after his superb opening round.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
