B J O R N A G A I N
All plane sailing for Ryder Cup star Olesen after his nightmare at 38,000 feet
BY
THORBJORN OLESEN finally feels ready to turn the page on his nightmare at 38,000 feet after taking a share of the firstround lead in the Betfred British Masters.
The Dane, part of the European Ryder Cup team that beat the USA in Paris in 2018, was suspended the following August for 11 months after being charged with sexual assault, being drunk on an aircraft, and assault by beating on a flight to London from Nashville following the WGC-FEDEX St Jude Invitational.
He was accused of grabbing a passenger’s breast in the first-class cabin and urinating on a seat.
However, when the case belatedly came to court in December, he was cleared after a jury accepted his explanation that a concoction of alcohol and sleeping pills had caused his misbehaviour.
But the distraction wrecked his golf and he is now playing catch-up. “It was just difficult for me,” said Olesen.
“I’ve not been working hard enough for a few years to be at that level so I know there is a lot of work to be done.
There have been points when you are not sure if you can get back to that level. It comes down to belief. There have been a few hard days but I feel I am on the right track now.
“I should have some years left in me – hopefully the best years. I still have a lot of goals and that’s why I’ve started to work hard again.
“I want to get back to winning and back up the world rankings. It has been a while since I have been in the winner’s circle and that’s my main goal this year.”
Olesen, 32, has slumped from a career-high No 38 in 2018 to No 376. But he played bogey-free golf at The Belfry to post a sixunder-par 66, enough for a share of the lead with New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, who biridied the last three holes.
Rory Mcilroy (left) carried on where he left off on his last start at Augusta by reeling off five birdies in his first six holes at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Mcilroy, who finished runner-up to winner Scottie Scheffler at the Masters, shot a first-round 67 at TPC Potomac to be up amongst the early pacesetters at three-under.