Thorbjorn Olesen withdrew from US Open final qualifying at Lambton Golf and Country Club in Toronto on Monday without completing his first of two scheduled rounds, choosing instead to redirect his energy toward this week’s RBC Canadian Open.
The Danish Ryder Cup winner was three over par through 14 holes when he made the call to walk off the course, at a point where the lead at the Toronto qualifying site was already sitting at five under.
With the math firmly against him and a significant tournament on the same site beginning within days, Olesen made the pragmatic decision that grinding through the remaining holes of a round heading nowhere — as well as the second 18 on “Golf’s Longest Day” — served no purpose. Meanwhile, Wyndham Clark revealed that he was upset that he was not part of the United States’ Ryder Cup team last year.
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Qualifying for a major is not the only consideration when you have a full European Tour and PGA Tour schedule to navigate.
The RBC Canadian Open is being played at the same Toronto venue this week, and arriving at the first round depleted from a 36-hole slog on a course where the best score of the day was already out of reach would be a poor trade.
Olesen, 36, is one of the more underrated talents in European golf over the past decade.
Thorbjorn Olesen won the 2018 Italian Open -Credit:Getty
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He won the 2018 Italian Open and represented Europe in the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National that same year.
Olesen defeated Jordan Spieth 5&4 in singles after being left out of the foursomes and fourball sessions, and collected eight European Tour victories in total.
His career has had its complications, including a period of legal proceedings that were ultimately resolved in his favor in December 2021, and he has maintained a competitive presence on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour since.
Thorbjorn Olesen beat Jordan Spieth in the Ryder Cup -Credit:Getty
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The U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills begins on June 18.
Final qualifying on Monday distributed 43 spots across 10 sites around the United States and Canada, with the Toronto qualifier offering six places in the field.
The site was producing competitive scoring, with Emiliano Grillo and Alejandro Tosti safely through and a cluster of players battling for the remaining spots when Olesen made his exit.
The U.S. Open will proceed without Olesen. The Canadian Open, where he will have a full week to compete on a course he has now spent time getting to know, represents the more realistic opportunity.