Most golfers walk off a rough range session dreading what comes next. Jacob Skov Olesen walks off one and takes it as a green light.

On Thursday, the Danish golfer started the 2026 Soudal Open at Rinkven International Golf Club with a 7-under 64. This was his best opening round of the season.

The surprising part is that he struggled during warm-up and could not even hit the middle of the clubface.

"I had a terrible range session, which usually is a pretty good sign, actually," Skov Olesen said after his round, posted by the DP World Tour on X. "I couldn't find the centre of the face on the range this morning, so I figured then that it'll be good."

It held up all day, and he made two putts from over 40 feet during the round, something he said hadn't happened in a while. "I haven't done that in a while," he said. "So it was nice to even do two of those."

The course conditions came up slightly different than anticipated. Rinkven played firmer than expected despite recent rain keeping things a touch slower.

"It's a bit slower than I thought, given all the rain," he said. "But it's a little firmer than I thought it would."

The putting helped. The course knowledge helped. But Skov Olesen arrived at Rinkven with something new in the bag, and it showed up on the worst possible warm-up day.

Jacob Skov Olesen's New Irons Just Made a Terrible Range Session Irrelevant

Skov Olesen didn't just show up with the same bag.

"I got new irons in the bag, I'm loving them," he said. "Just seeing a bit more of what I want."

Changing equipment during a season is usually not easy. It takes time to get used to new irons because the feel, distance, and control all need to be adjusted.

Skov Olesen, who has used Titleist equipment since turning professional in 2024, did not seem to need any adjustment on Thursday. His 64 showed he was comfortable right away.

Even though his warm-up was not good, he still played very well on Thursday. His round shows a big improvement compared to what his practice suggested. This was also his second-best round of the 2026 season on the DP World Tour.

Three rounds remain. "I'm excited for the next few days," he said.

Jacob Skov Olesen shot 7-under after a shocking warm-up at the Soudal Open, but can bad practice really lead to a great round? Let us know what you think below.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason