Latest news with #JacobSkovOlesen
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Olesen hits two out of bounds in disastrous start
Overnight co-leader Jacob Skov Olesen struggled on the first hole, making a quadruple-bogey after hitting two shots out of bounds during Round 2 of The Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Olesen hits two out of bounds in disastrous start
Overnight co-leader Jacob Skov Olesen struggled on the first hole, making a quadruple-bogey after hitting two shots out of bounds during Round 2 of The Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
British Open 2025: Co-leader begins second round by pumping two balls OB
Jacob Skov Olesen's stay atop this Open Championship leaderboard didn't last long. The 26-year-old from Denmark went out Thursday at Royal Portrush and fired one of five 4-under 67s. But during his scrum with reporters later that afternoon, Olesen mentioned that he typically struggles in right-to-left wind. 'I've been working on it,' Olesen said. And he'll keep working on it. Olesen began Friday's second round in his least favorite wind, and he promptly hit two tee balls out of bounds at Portrush's par-4 first hole. The first one was a low hook off the lefty's driver face. The second went the opposite direction. When it was all said and done, Olesen walked off the green with a quadruple-bogey 8, dropping from 4 under back to level par.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Japan Times
Packed British Open leaderboard as McIlroy scrambles to stay in touch
Denmark's Jacob Skov Olesen, China's Li Haotong, England's Matthew Fitzpatrick, South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout and American Harris English shot four-under-par 67s to share the British Open first-round lead at Royal Portrush on Thursday. World number one Scottie Scheffler was one stroke adrift, and Rory McIlroy scrambled to a 70 after a rollercoaster round in which he bogeyed the first hole and fought back to three under before fading on the back nine. After early sunshine on the Dunluce Links, heavy rain and wind made conditions difficult for the players. Qualifier Olesen, the world number 354, sank a 40-foot birdie putt on the tough opening hole and eagled the 12th before making his second bogey at the last. "Obviously, annoyed to finish off with a bogey and not getting it up in two from there. But it happens, and whether it happens on hole seven or hole 18, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter," Olesen said. Li made four birdies in a flawless round. The world number 111 finished third in the 2017 Open at Birkdale after shooting a closing 63. "I think I had 18 highlights today. I tried to avoid a bogey and did it, which is great," Li said. "It's very tough, brutal." Fitzpatrick, the 2022 U.S. Open champion, eagled the second hole and notched up three birdies. "I just felt like I did everything well," he said. "Drove it well, approach play was good, and chipped and putted well. It was just an all around good day." Scheffler in contention American Scheffler birdied the 16th and 17th holes thanks to superb iron shots to stay in contention for his first British Open title. "Felt like I hit the ball nice off the tee, and really only had one swing I wasn't too happy with on maybe the second hole, so definitely a good bit of confidence for the next couple rounds," Scheffler said. Northern Ireland's McIlroy, seeking his second Claret Jug, bogeyed the first hole after an errant drive but that was three shots better than he managed in the 2019 Open at Portrush. It was not what his legion of fans had hoped for, however, after the world number two became the sixth player to complete the Grand Slam by winning this year's Masters. He regained his composure to birdie the second, fifth, seventh and 10th to get to three under before posting three bogeys in his next four holes. A 10-foot birdie putt on the 17th green took McIlroy back under par and he parred the last to remain in contention to win his sixth major title. "It was good," McIlroy said. "I had it going three-under through 10 and let a few slip there around the middle of the round. I steadied the ship well, played the last four at one under, and it was nice to shoot under par." England's Tyrrell Hatton and Matthew Jordan and Thailand's Sadom Kaewkanjana joined Scheffler on three under. Former world number one Lee Westwood, Dane Nicolai Hojgaard, Americans Rickie Fowler and Brian Harman, and England's Justin Rose were among a group of players on two under. Veteran American Phil Mickelson, the 2013 Open champion, rolled back the years with a 70, including a spectacular par-save when he holed out from a greenside bunker. "That bunker shot that buried in the lip, and then to make it, it was obviously a lot of luck. It was crazy. I was just trying to save bogey, and I got lucky," the 55-year-old said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Home favourite Rory McIlroy falls short in bid for first-round Open lead
Rory McIlroy looked like delivering the show the thousands who had flocked to Royal Portrush to cheer their returning hero expected, only for his bid for the first-round Open lead to collapse in the space of four holes on the back nine. The Northern Irishman from an hour down the road in Holywood rarely comes to these parts due to commitments on the PGA Tour and on his last competitive visit in 2019 went home early after missing the cut. But, after teeing off at 3.10pm with a four-under-par target in his sights, he recovered from a bogey at the first – a three-shot improvement on six years ago when he went out of bounds – to have a crowd 10 deep in places buzzing in anticipation. The 61 he shot as a 16-year-old on this course was never on the cards, but three under through 10, having hit just two fairways, raised the prospect of a memorable first day. But over the course of the next four holes that waywardness off the tee took its toll with three bogeys, including one at the course's easiest hole, the par-five 11th, and only a 12-foot par save at the 15th prevented further damage. There was a much-needed birdie from similar distance at the penultimate hole, having again gone left off the tee, and even though his 44-footer for a 69 grazed the cup at the 18th, the fans went home happy, with their man just three off the pace. That was set by McIlroy's Ryder Cup team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick, whose 67 was the lowest opening round of his major career, world number 354 Jacob Skov Olesen, China's Li Haotong, South African Chris Bezuidenhout and American Harris English. 'I had it going three under through 10 and let a few slip around the middle of the round. I steadied the ship well and played the last four in one under and it was just nice to finish under par,' McIlroy said. 'It was a tough enough day, especially either chopping out of the rough or out of the fairway bunkers.' Fitzpatrick, a former US Open champion, continued his upward trend following top-10 finishes in his last two events after an otherwise disappointing season, despite a joint-eighth place at May's US PGA. The Sheffield golfer got off to a flying start with a 22-foot eagle putt at the second hole, but the highlight was a slam-dunk chip for birdie from the steep bank on the treacherous Calamity Corner par-three 16th. 'I felt like The Players was the lowest I've felt in my career,' Fitzpatrick, bidding to become the first English winner of The Open since Nick Faldo in 1992, said of missing the cut at Sawgrass in March. 'Statistically it could be the worst run that I've played as well. I just didn't feel good or know where it was going. 'Today I just felt like I did drove it well, approach play was good and chipped and putted well. It was just an all-around good day.' Olesen, a Danish left-hander who won the Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin in Ireland last summer, only turned professional in November after earning his DP World Tour card. That meant the 26-year-old had to sacrifice his amateur exemptions for this year's Masters and US Open, so this was only his second appearance at one of golf's premier events after his debut at Troon 12 months ago. But he had no regrets about his decision, having come through qualifying a fortnight ago. 'I think it would have been a different decision if I was 19 at the time, but getting out on tour has always been a dream of mine,' he said. '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.' World number one Scottie Scheffler missed a birdie putt at the last which would have given him a share of the lead, but his 68 was the lowest score by a player who hit three or fewer fairways in The Open for last 25 years. 'When it's raining sideways it's actually, believe it or not, not that easy to get the ball in the fairway. Thank you guys all for pointing that out,' said the reigning US PGA champion. Asked whether there was a shot he was really pleased with, he replied: 'No.' English duo Tyrrell Hatton and Matthew Jordan, one of only two players in the field with top-10 Open finishes in the previous two years, were also three under, with 52-year-old compatriot Lee Westwood marking his 30th anniversary at the tournament with a two-under 69.
