LYTHAM ST ANNES, ENGLAND - Thorbjorn Olesen has jumped onto the world stage here at the British Open.

Still, it might take a little while for people to get to know him.

The 22-year-old played with his idol, Tiger Woods, Saturday and acquitted himself pretty well with a 1-over-par 71 and sits in seventh place, seven shots back of leader Adam Scott.

So, he was asked after his round, what’s the reaction been back in Norway?

“I don’t know,” said Olesen, who’s from Denmark. “You’ll have to ask them.”

People probably won’t be making that mistake much longer if he keeps playing the way he has. He’s a winner on the European Tour this season. Still, winning the Sicilian Open and playing alongside Woods while contending for the Open championship are two quite different things.

What made Olesen more nervous? It had to be a chance to contend in the Open, right?

“No, it was mainly because of Tiger. He’s been my idol for so many years, since I was a little kid. So it’s a big thing for me to play with him,” said Olesen, who said he adopted the “seen but not heard” approach when asked if he tried to talk to Woods.

“Not really. I think he’s out here for winning, also, and I think he’s quite concentrating on that, so I didn’t want to disturb him,” he said.

chris.stevenson@sunmedia.ca

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