Well, this was certainly unexpected. If you’re just tuning in to the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, you might be shocked to see J.S. Olesen’s name at the top of the leaderboard. This 26-year-old Danish golfer, who primarily plays on the DP World Tour, has thrown his hat into the ring with a stunning 4-under 67 in the first round.

Olesen’s story is one of rapid rise. With five amateur tournament wins under his belt, he honed his skills at Ranger Community College, TCU, and Arkansas. His big break came in 2024 when he became the first Dane to win the Amateur Championship, securing a spot at the Open Championship at Royal Troon, where he made a solid debut with a T60 finish. So, what is his secret behind success?

Speaking at The Open Championship, Olesen was quizzed about his experience playing in Ireland, and he revealed that his trip to Royal Portrush wasn’t his first rodeo on the Emerald Isle. “No, we flew into Dublin actually both times, so it was the same airport,” he said with a nod to his previous visit to Ballyliffin, where he made history in 2024 by becoming the first Danish golfer to win The Amateur Championship.

This experience likely gave him a valuable edge over golfers like Scottie Scheffler, who don’t have much experience heading into Ireland’s challenging conditions. Scheffler and Jordan Spieth have previously voiced their concerns about mud balls on the greens, but Olesen’s familiarity with similar conditions might help him navigate these challenges more effectively. “Yeah, a little bit [of memories came flooding back]. It’s obviously a different setting and different everything, but obviously good memories from this island over here.”

Olesen also gave a thumbs-up to his prep work, saying, “Having played in those tricky conditions, in rain and wind like they’re having now… it’s something that I’m prepared for, we prepared for.” Given his experience at Ballyliffin, where he navigated the Glashedy Links in a thrilling 36-hole showdown to claim the title last year, Olesen’s confidence in playing in similar conditions is well-founded.

He seemed pretty chill about the prospect of playing in the rain, adding, “It’s obviously nice to get a round without the rain, but if we do have to play in the rain, we’re ready for it.” Looks like this 26-year-old pro is more than ready to take on the British Open, but not without some challenges.

J.S. Olesen opens up about his challenges at the Royal Portrush

Even for golfers like J.S. Olesen who have practiced playing in inclement weather, Royal Portrush proved to be a challenge. Olesen found the start of the course particularly tough, especially as a lefty facing right-to-left winds. “Yeah, I’d say the start was a bit of a test,” he said with a hint of understatement. He felt that making par on those right-to-left wind holes would be a good start, and he was right, given the tricky conditions. Can a lefty like Olesen adapt to these conditions and still come out on top?

“I thought I did fairly well on those holes,” Olesen said, “Especially hole 3 with that front on the right as a lefty with the wind off the right, it’s really hard to try and hit a high draw up, and it’s hard to get it to really stop compared to if you can hold a little softer cut up into it. That was a tough one, and we were in between clubs, which does not help either.” With challenges like these, will Olesen be able to keep his momentum going throughout the tournament? Let us know in the comment section below!