Thorbjorn Olesen Player Profile And What's In The Bag
By: Derek Clements | Mon 20 Feb 2023
Article Updated in January 2024
Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen won his eighth DP World Tour title by six shots after a closing round of 67 at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.
He entered the final round at Al Hamra Golf Club four clear of Rasmus Hojgaard but saw his lead wiped out within seven holes as his countryman made a wonderful start.
However, a stunning eagle after a glorious approach to the par-five eighth and three-shot swing as Hojgaard stumbled to a horrible bogey changed the complexion of the day. In the end, Olesen cruised to a six-shot win at 27 under.
Hojgaard signed for a 69 to finish at 21 under, one shot clear of Frenchman Frederic Lacroix, who ended his week with a 68.
Olesen's total of 261 - which included a course-record equalling 62 on Friday - is the lowest of the season, with his score to par also the lowest of the season by seven strokes.
He said: "It's very special. Standing here with (my son) Cooper makes it a little more special. It was still a battle out there, it got close and you've got one of the most talented players right behind you so I knew it was going to be tough and we were tied for the lead very quickly.
"I played some nice golf coming in and holed the right putts at the right time. To win was a goal and it was nice to get that here, especially being here at my new home. It's always a place I like to come to, not just for golf but for holidays. It's a great place and I'm really happy that I could get a win here."
His six-shot winning margin is also the biggest of the season so far and Olesen has now won in three consecutive seasons and seven times out of eight when holding the 54-hole lead.
He moves up to sixth in the Race to Dubai Rankings.
Who is Thorbjorn Olesen
Thorbjorn Olesen was born in Denmark on December 21, 1989.
He turned professional in 2008 and qualified for the 2010 Challenge Tour season, winning The Princess in Sweden in July of that year and ending the season in third place in the Challenge Tour rankings, which earned him full exemption for the DP World Tour in 2010-11
He finished second in the Alfred Dunhill Championship, the Italian Open and the French Open in his debut season and won the Sicilian Open in 2012 and at the end of that year moved into the top 50 in the world rankings for the first time.
At the 2013 Masters he finished sixth. He won the Alfred Dunhill Links in 2015, the Turkish Airlines Open in 2016 and the Italian Open in 2018 and qualified for the European Ryder Cup team that thrashed the USA at Le Golf National.
Olesen won the British Masters in May 2022 - it was his first victory since 2018 and it came six months after he was cleared of sexually assaulting a woman on board a TransAtlantic flight in 2019. He claimed that he had not been in control of his body after drinking and taking prescription-only sleeping pills.
Olesen was 62nd in the world at the time but had slipped to 376 and said that he seriously wondered if he would ever be able to return to his best form.
He returned to the winner’s circle at the Thailand Open in 2023 for what was his seventh DP World Tour success. He was also third at the Nedbank Challenge and Soudal Open, tied sixth at the Indian Open and had top-10 finishes at the Qatar Masters and Andalucia Masters.
He lives in London and supports Manchester United.
Last 10 Events
Ras Al Khaimah Championship - 1st
Hero Dubai Desert Classic - T21st
Dubai Invitational - T8th
DP World Tour Championship - 26th
Nedbank Challenge - 3rd
Qatar Masters - T9th
Andalucia Masters - T9th
Open de Espana - T17th
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship - WD
Cazoo Open de France - T10th
Key Stats (DP World Tour: 2022/23)
Driving Distance - 302.88 Yards
Driving Accuracy - 43.75%
Greens in Regulation - 62.50%
Sand Saves - 58.33%
Putts Per Round - 27.75
Scoring Average - 69.50
End of Year World Ranking Position
2020: 354
2021: 432
2022: 144
2023: 80
What's In Thorbjorn Olesen's Bag
TaylorMade Qi10 LS 10.5° Driver
TaylorMade P·790 3-Iron
TaylorMade P·7MC 4-6
TaylorMade P·7MB 7-PW
TaylorMade Hi Toe 3 Chrome 56°, 60°
TaylorMade TP Reserve B11
TaylorMade TP5x Golf Ball
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Tags: WITB Tour Pro player profile in the bag
