THE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

June 20, 2024

Jacob Skov Olesen

Quick Quotes

Q. Congratulations, a long, hard-fought battle, it took until the 20th hole to get it done. You must be relieved?

JACOB SKOV OLESEN: Yeah, I am. I am for sure. It was tough. We played both really good, actually. We both putted really good. We hit the ball good, both of us. It was tough. I knew I had to make some putts, and I knew I had to make the one on 18 because he had not been missing those on flat, good surfaces. So I knew I needed that one to go down.

And then I made -- I've been hitting driver on 1 all day. It's not ideal being down there left. But I was so close to the green, I got on the green and barely missed a 30-footer. Par weren't on to the next hole on 2, actually funny, early in the match, came there the first time and I hit one right and I stepped on my ball and got a penalty stroke because I wasn't actively searching for it and I ended up tying it instead of winning it. I hit a good run just off the fairway on the left. I had 105 metres and it was a great number for a 55-degree and I put it to eight, nine feet. A bit of a slider because that pin is really tough. A little I have not been feeling the best with my putter. I haven't seen them drop. So seeing that one drop in on the high side with good speed, it was really nice because you don't want to miss those and then go on to another hole. That felt really good. I'm really happy.

Q. Do you feel like seeing that putt drop gives you momentum into your match tomorrow?

JACOB SKOV OLESEN: Yeah, I feel like it's been my a little bit of Achilles' heel all spring especially in America, putting has not been terrible. It's just not been good enough. I've been hitting the ball great for a long time now. I just haven't had that week where it seems to click on the greens.

So today, especially the morning was not good and they didn't drop but this afternoon, good strokes, good reads, seeing them drop. It feels good. It feels good. It was a tough match, as well.

Q. Talk to us about the mental side of match play, and especially when you are saying that you are not feeling great with your putter. What's going on in the mind to help you get across the line?

JACOB SKOV OLESEN: Yeah, I think match play is fun. I love match play. Because it's just you versus your guy. You kind of change your strategy sometimes a little bit depending on where he is, especially on a links course like this.

Yeah, I feel like I've been -- I've been hitting decent clubs. They have not been -- I've had trouble starting -- I felt like I just need to trust them at some point. If you keep doing it enough and you keep seeing them not go in or run on the line, then you have to stop at some point and be like, okay, now we just trust what we see over the ball. And I did a really good job of that in this round. Yeah, it definitely means a lot going into tomorrow, too. Like good momentum. I hit the ball great this round. Hit a great driver off the deck on 17 to get it up there to the green because I was 1-down, down 17, he had laid up short, which is a tough wedge shot. Is so I knew I had to make a birdie because he's probably going to make a bogey. So I just ripped the driver off and into the wind, got up there just short and got up-and-down. Kind of feels good; that was a really nice chip off a tight lie. I've been struggling with my short game, as well, with the chipping. Definitely chipping that to five or six feet was nice.

The one on 18, too. Not the ideal spot to be short for that pin, but I hit it great. It released a little long. Can't go short. I've got to give myself a chance at least. Yeah, those short game shots felt really good. I feel like I'm progressing around the greens and on the greens.

Q. Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you go to college in the States?

JACOB SKOV OLESEN: So I just finished my fifth year, which I did at Arkansas. My only year at Arkansas. I spent a year in junior college in 2019, 2020 and transferred to TCU. Spent three years there. Got my degree there. Then I wanted to do another year and I went up to Arkansas, and it was fact. I had a great, great year there. So that's meant a lot to me.

Now I'm back in Denmark just living with my mom now and my brother. So yeah, it's fun.

Q. But golf is the plan?

JACOB SKOV OLESEN: Yeah.

Q. That's where you see your future?

JACOB SKOV OLESEN: Yeah, definitely. I'm staying amateur for the rest of the year, or till late in the year, and then plan is to grow pro then. Got a great amateur schedule here. Coming back for the St Andrews Trophy with the R&A with Team Europe. So that will be super fun.

Q. How old were you when you started playing golf?

JACOB SKOV OLESEN: Five. I'm old -- everyone is young here. Everyone else is 19.

Q. And who got you into golf?

JACOB SKOV OLESEN: That's funny, actually, it was an old, old friend. Me and him just kind of played the same sports. We didn't really know that you could actually -- we thought you had to be like ten years old to play golf, and then he played golf. I had always been fascinated by golf, apparently. My parents keep saying when we were -- when we were travelling and we'd drive by a golf course, we travelled a lot when I was young. I would always be like just staring out at the golf course. So I think I always had a fascination with the -- I think I was fascinated by the buggies, actually. So yeah, I started there when I was five with my friend.

Q. Does he still play golf?

JACOB SKOV OLESEN: I have no idea. It was like a kindergarten, kind of went separate ways. I don't think so.