Thorbjorn Olesen is very much in contention to secure his ninth DP World Tour win on Sunday, with the Dane just one shot off the lead heading into the final round of the Open de France at Le Golf National.
It really feels incredibly difficult to call the Open de France, with the top 24 names on the leaderboard all within five shots of current leader Jesper Svensson. Like Olesen, Svensson is looking for his second victory of 2024.
Once again, Le Golf National has provided the stage for another fantastic event. There did appear to be some major concerns over the tournament after a stunning amount of rain fell on Wednesday.
However, Olesen spoke of being surprised by how amazingly the course had held up. And the 34-year-old has taken full advantage, having forced his way into the final group on Sunday. But it would appear that he is not entirely happy with his game over the course of the week.
Thorbjorn Olesen shares what was important as he struggled during the third round at the Open de France
Olesen admitted that he was struggling with his game at times during the third round. However, he saw the positives in how he managed to post another good score despite not being at his best on Saturday.
“I think my putting was pretty consistent all day. Holed some good putts down the front nine, a couple of good putts, and then obviously that one on 17 was really important,” he said.
“But yeah, all in all, I thought my bad shots was pretty good today, and that was important.”
What the Dane will be well aware of with the leaderboard so tight
Olesen is definitely one of the biggest names in the field this week, so he will be one of the players that the rest of the chasing pack are concerned about. It should also be noted that Justin Rose is one of those in that group on eight under par. If the Englishman gets off to a fast start in the hour or so before the leaders head off, it could be a real statement.
Olesen – who was part of the winning team in the Pro-Am at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last week – managed to see the upside in his performance on Saturday. But he will be aware that he probably cannot afford to battle with his game again.
Posting another 67 will take the 2018 Ryder Cup winner to 16 under par. That may perhaps be enough, but given how bunched together the leaderboard really is, he will surely be expecting someone to go incredibly low.
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