Michael Thorbjornsen remains determined to prove that his breakthrough on the PGA Tour is no coincidence. The young American posted a solid third round this Saturday at the THE PLAYERS Championship, carding a 67, one of the best of the day, which keeps him in the fight for the title at TPC Sawgrass. After a tricky start to the tournament on Thursday, the former Stanford player has responded with two consistent rounds that have brought him back to the top of the leaderboard, sole second, three shots behind the leader, Ludvig Aberg.
Thorbjornsen explained after his round that on a course as demanding as the Stadium Course you shouldn’t rush or force the game plan too much. “I don’t think I need to change much. On courses like this, if you play very solid golf, the birdies end up coming,” he said. The American also highlighted that clean rounds have been a rarity this week. “I don’t know if anyone has had a round without bogeys yesterday or today, but there aren’t many. Here the key is to go step by step. Slow and with good execution.”
The start of the tournament wasn’t easy for him. Thorbjornsen had to deal on Thursday with one of the worst combinations of tee time and wind, something that penalised his score. However, he insists the golf was much better than the card suggested. “We felt I played a lot better than my Thursday score. We simply got some club selections and some yardages wrong. There were well-executed shots that finished in bogey because we chose one iron too many or one too few,” he explained.
Now living in Jacksonville, the young player admits that THE PLAYERS itself had a lot to do with his decision to move to the area after finishing university. “This course was one of the reasons. Also, having the PGA Tour headquarters nearby helps a lot. Many young players coming out of university are moving here to live,” he commented.
That proximity has also strengthened his relationship with Ludvig Åberg, with whom he has shared many rounds since their university days and who is also contending at the top this week. The prospect of sharing the feature group on Sunday at Sawgrass does not leave him indifferent. “It would be very special. He’s a great guy and I love playing with him. At university he was one of the players I looked up to, although he’s only a year older than me. He has a very strong mental game.”
With recent experience fighting for titles on the PGA Tour, Thorbjornsen has the main lesson clear for approaching Sunday. “The key is to keep trying. If you keep getting into position, eventually it will happen. All players want to have a chance over the final nine holes on Sunday. Then the cards fall as they will,” he concluded.
The young American therefore heads into the final day of THE PLAYERS at the ever-demanding TPC Sawgrass with his confidence intact and the sense that his moment on the circuit may be drawing ever closer. If he maintains the solidity shown in recent rounds, his name could remain prominent in the fight for one of the most prestigious titles on the PGA Tour.
