Thorbjorn Olesen, a 35-year-old Danish golfer, holds a one-stroke advantage over Jake Knapp as he heads into the weekend of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities. After an impressive opening round of 9-under 62 on Thursday, Olesen followed up with a solid 66 on Friday, showcasing his ability to handle pressure despite a few challenges on the course.
There were times during Olesen’s round on Friday when things weren’t going his way, and he got out of danger with poise. He was almost buried alive on several occasions, but somehow came through unscathed. He came back in style after a double bogey on the par-4 15th hole. He followed that up with three straight birdies, proof of his perseverance and talent. For the tournament, his total is 14-under 128.
During his final hole, the par-4 ninth, Olesen found himself in the rough but skillfully hit out to set up a crucial 5-foot birdie putt. This was a critical moment to keep him in front on the way to feeding his first PGA Tour victory of the season. But perhaps the most striking aspect of Olesen’s performance has been his iron play. he remarked,
“I think both days, my iron play has been really, really good.”
Through all the twists and turns, he said he never lost confidence in his game. I was able to hit a lot of shots really close to the pin and give myself a lot of good looks. It seemed today I had two or three just disastrous drives that really ruined my progress. Despite that, he was clearly confident and comfortable on the ball,” he explained.
Olesen’s latest outing at the British Open, across the pond in Northern Ireland, did not go his way, as he had the misfortune of missing the cut. He’s mostly focused on staying positive with how he’s pitching right now. He summed up his focus coming into each tournament with these words,
“I take every week as it comes. Every week is an opportunity to try and bounce back and do something special.”
As the tournament moves into the weekend, Olesen’s attention will turn towards keeping up a regular performance and dealing with adversities on the course.
Jake Knapp, one-stroke behind Olesen, recognized that his play has been the key constant, saying,
“I feel like it’s been … kind of mistake-free for the most part. I haven’t really had to scramble too much.”
Combined with Olesen’s grit and Knapp’s calmness under pressure, the weekend is sure to provide a dramatic conclusion to the 3M Open.
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