PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland—Jacob Skov Olesen authored a four-under 67 to own a share of the clubhouse lead as the afternoon wave goes off at Royal Portrush Thursday afternoon. Olesen is the 2024 Amateur champ, although a name that’s likely unknown to most casual fans. While another good round on Friday will give him a chance to properly introduce himself, the media on site was particularly intrigued by Olesen’s decision last fall to do something unthinkable to most golf fanatics: turn down the chance to play Augusta National.
RELATED: Move over, Rory, this is the worst opening tee shot in Royal Portrush history Thanks to his Amateur triumph at Ballyliffin last July, becoming the first Dane to win the R&A’s prestigious event, Olesen earned invites to the 2024 Open and the 2025 Masters and U.S. Open. However, Olesen was a late bloomer, attending three universities in the United States (including a junior college) and was already 25 years old. In November, he successfully earned his DP World Tour card through Qualifying school and turned pro. One problem: by becoming professional, he would forfeit his spot in the Masters and U.S. Open. “I’d say my age was there a little bit. I think it would have been a different decision if I was 19 at the time. But also getting out on DP has always been a dream of mine,” Olesen explained. “It’s what I watched all the time growing up, Thomas Bjorn, Anders Hansen, those Danish guys before us that are there now, so it’s always been a dream. I had already made the decision before even going to second stage of Q-school that if I got through, it would be a no-brainer to turn pro.” Which is understandable, especially factoring in the economic ramifications of the decision. But here’s where his call slightly backfired. Olesen planned on still attending the tournament as a patron early in the week, as he would be in Georgia playing an event pitting himself against the U.S. Amateur winner. Unfortunately, by the time he got to the course … well, take it away, Jacob: “Right as we got to Augusta, we could just see everyone flooding out,” Olesen said. “Checked Twitter and it had gotten cancelled, so we never got to get in.
“I guess maybe that’s a sign for I’ll get in there as a player instead of as a spectator.” Olesen has done alright in his rookie season, posting three top 10s and sitting 62nd in the Race to Dubai standings. Of course, if he can string together another three solid days at Portrush, another invite to Augusta will be in his future.
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Is it the British Open or the Open Championship? The name of the final men’s major of the golf season is a subject of continued discussion. The event’s official name, as explained in this op-ed by former R&A chairman Ian Pattinson, is the Open Championship. But since many United States golf fans continue to refer to it as the British Open, and search news around the event accordingly, Golf Digest continues to utilize both names in its coverage.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
