Thorbjørn Olesen, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Eddie Pepperell could all take the last automatic qualifying place for the Ryder Cup Team at this week's Made in Denmark.
Home favourite Olesen is in the box seat, with Fitzpatrick and Pepperell both needing a win to overtake him and even that may not be enough for the English duo.
A tie for seventh with one other would be good enough for Olesen take his place at Le Golf National should Fitzpatrick win, while a top 12 finish would keep Pepperell at bay.
Here, we take a look at what the three contenders had to say after an eight under par 64 saw Jonathan Thomson take the first-round lead at Silkeborg Ry Golf Club.
Thorbjørn Olesen (73, +1)
“I didn’t play well today, didn’t have a tempo in my swing. If you play well, there’s a lot of chances out there, but if you don’t play well, it’s a really difficult course and unfortunately I didn’t play well. I was a bit nervous on the first tee, but other than that I felt good out there. Had a few loose drives, so I’m going to work a bit on that and hopefully do better tomorrow because, like a said, there’s a lot of chances out there.
Eddie Pepperell (70, -2)
“The swing didn't feel at all good at times. I hit some very good shots, the back-to-back five woods (on the 11th and 12th) I'll probably remember for the rest of my life - I might have to retire that club after those two. It is probably more an inspiration, I wouldn't say a distraction. I'm still very focused on my game, I don't think it's affected my score today and I don't think it will affect my score moving forward, for the good or for the bad. I've still got to hit good golf shots. I've got to win this golf tournament so if I want to do that I've got to play better than I have done today, I've got to start to feel more comfortable with my swing and that's were all my focus is really lying. It's not really on my mind.”
Matthew Fitzpatrick (72, level par)
“I had a few chances early and felt like I hit the irons solid all day. I had six chances inside 15 feet which is great. You know, I make a few of those putts and all of a sudden I’m under par but then I made a couple of silly mistakes and finish level. That’s the nature of the game, I suppose. My game does feel there but it’s just golf - very fine margins. I drove the ball well on the front nine and just putted terribly and then I didn’t really put it in position off the tee on the back nine. I’ll go to the range now and try and figure it out and go low tomorrow. I didn’t feel pressure today playing with Robert (Karlsson). Obviously you want to play well in front of the Vice Captains but at the same time I don’t think one round will make that much of a difference because we all know what each other is capable of.”
