Player Profile: Thorbjorn Olesen

On Sunday, Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen won his first European Tour victory at the Sicilian Open. This week's player profile introduces golf fans to this talented young player who is making his presence felt in Europe.

Born in 1989 in the town of Furesø, Denmark, Olesen is part of of the young generation of players which is proving that Europe has an abundance of professional golfing talent. Having taken to the game during his school years, Olesen made his debut in 2008 at the age of nineteen. His successes as an amateur and young professional golfer as well as his friendly and modest personality have impressed many commentators.

After making his debut on the Northern European Nordic League tour, Olesen moved on to the second-tier Challenge Tour in 2010. Halfway through the season, he recorded his first Challenge Tour victory at The Princess in Sweden. By the end of the 2010 season Olesen was ranked third on the Challenge Tour and won an exemption to the European Tour for the 2011 season.

As Olesen adapted to the high-intensity European Tour environment, weathering the challenges of playing golf at its highest level, he impressed golf fans with a tie for second place at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December 2010, the first event on the 2011 tour calendar. In June 2011 Olesen tied for second place again at the BMW Italian Open, one stroke behind Britain's Robert Rock. These strong finishes in his debut season were just a taste of things to come as Olesen found his footing on the European Tour.

Following yet another second place finish at the Alstom Open de France and an invitation to the 2011 Open Championship, Olesen began the 2012 season primed to win. Victory came on Sunday at the Sicilian Open, when the young champion beat Sweden's Carl Petterssen to record his first-ever win on the European Tour – most likely the first of many more.

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