Danish prodigy Jacob Skov Olesen has already signalled his undoubted talent to the world of golf by winning The Amateur Championship and making the weekend cut at The Open in Royal Troon this year.
The 25-year-old is now hoping to take the next step on his fledgling career in Thailand at the Black Mountain Championship, one of 10 elevated tournaments on the LIV Golf-promoted The International Series.
The Asian Tour-sanctioned events form a pathway onto the LIV Golf League roster via the end-of-season Rankings.
Olesen, a former University of Arkansas student, is currently keeping his options open with Q School on a number of tours in the near future.
Ogletree was part of the HyFlyers GC for 2024
However he knows enough about the pathway forged by players such as Andy Ogletree, the US star who claimed a coveted place on the LIV Golf League after winning The International Series Rankings race in 2023, to consider the Asian Tour as a prospect.
He said: “I am exempted into The International Series next year because of winning The Amateur Championship, so that’s a real opportunity for me, and I’m very open-minded.
“I’m also playing the DP World Tour Q-School, and the PGA Tour Q-School as well, it is obviously really nice to have those options and opportunities next year.
“There’s a lot of things where I don’t know where I’m at and what my schedule can look like, but it’s always good to have options.”
Olesen, who has also contested the Arnold Palmer Cup, the annual team competition for college and university golfers, believes the next crop of golfing talent are seriously weighing up the prospect of a tilt at The International Series.
Andy Ogletree – Asian Tour
So far, Ogletree and 2022 Rankings champion Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe have taken the direct route onto LIV Golf.
Rising stars such as Rayhan Thomas, Leo Oyo and Jonas Baumgartner have clearly taken note.
The trio of Oklahoma State players all featured at International Series Morocco, joining Peter Uihlein and Eugenio Chacarra, both former alumni turned LIV Golf League stars who now play regularly on The International Series.
Olesen said: “Definitely there are a lot of people that are looking this way, especially with The International Series now, with bigger prize pools.
“This (event) seems to be run extremely well, and that is what filters down. If you know that the tournaments are run well, with good courses and destinations, people will want to play.
“When you see this, and you hear from other guys that have done it, then it becomes an option. And I definitely think you’re going to see a lot more guys from America and Europe coming over here to play.”
Olesen will tee it up in a field including other promising youngsters such as Mexico’s Santiago De La Fuente, the Latin America Amateur champion, and Sampson Zheng, the talented Chinese youngster who finished runner-up in the 2023 edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
After turning pro midway through 2024, Sampson has impressed on the Asian Tour with a T4 finish at International Series England and a T2 in the Mandiri Indonesia Open.
The Black Mountain Championship takes place from 17-20 October at Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand.
Main Image: The R&A
