CROMWELL, Conn. — Michael Thorbjornsen didn’t really feel any completely different when he stepped to the primary tee for the 2024 Vacationers Championship at TPC River Highlands on Thursday.
Thorbjornsen, a graduate of Wellesley Excessive College in Wellesley, Mass., competed within the occasion twice earlier than and referred to it his “house” on the PGA Tour.
However it was completely different.
Thorbjornsen, competing on a sponsor exemption within the PGA Tour’s Signature Occasion, was making his skilled debut. So whereas Thorbjornsen himself won’t have felt completely different, a few of his greatest supporters did.
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“Pulling in as we speak, I used to be much less nervous, nevertheless it was a unique feeling,” Ted Thorbjornsen instructed NESN.com on the 18th inexperienced after his 22-year-old son concluded with a 2-over par 72.
His mom, Sandra Thorbjornsen, mentioned there’s a way of aid now that he’s formally an expert.
“This was his dream, and to see it realized is unbelievable,” Sandra instructed NESN.com, a white golf tee serving to maintain her hair as she received able to stroll the again 9. “There’s a way of aid as a result of it’s been quite a lot of grind for him.”
It wasn’t a memorable debut within the sense Thorbjornsen set the course on hearth. It was scorching sufficient, in any case. As an alternative, it was a reminder as to the character of the sport Thorbjornsen has performed his total life: It’s no completely different now.
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“All in all, it was wonderful,” Thorbjornsen instructed NESN.com after his spherical. “I be ok with my recreation. All the things feels good, my physique feels good. You’re going to have a kind of days the place you’re feeling such as you performed fairly good, however the rating doesn’t at all times present that.”
Right here’s all the things NESN.com noticed after following Thorbjornsen for 18 holes:
— Thorbjornsen wore a white Adidas shirt, navy pants and white Taylor Made hat. He wore the identical white Adidas sneakers as his enjoying associate, Ludvig Aberg, the fourth-ranked participant on the planet. Thorbjornsen’s navy and white Taylor Made golf bag featured a pink Stanford emblem together with a lime inexperienced City Golf Efficiency emblem. Thorbjornsen graduated from Stanford, the place he was a Pac-12 Participant of the 12 months and two-time All American, and began working with City Golf Efficiency in November 2023 after he was bedridden because of a stress fracture in his again and simultaneous restoration from ankle surgical procedure.
— Rian Chab, a coach at City Golf Efficiency, was among the many dozen household and pals who adopted Thorbjornsen. Chab believes Thorbjornsen is in higher form now than he was previous to the damage.
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“Being round Michael, he’s at all times been a professional,” Chab mentioned. “That little chip doesn’t imply something. … He’s not a rookie, not in his mindset a minimum of.”
— Thorbjornsen, who completed No. 1 in PGA Tour College and earned is Tour card by the conclusion of the 2025 season, has been lauded for his driving prowess. He persistently put himself in place to attain Thursday due to how he performed off the tee. Aberg was nearly at all times away once they stepped to their strategy photographs, generally by a large margin.
“Have a look at Mike lifeless middle,” a buddy of Thorbjornsen mentioned on the first gap.
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Nonetheless, maybe no tee shot was extra spectacular than his drive on the 444-yard par-4 18th. Thorbjornsen was 85 yards from the pin on his second shot, that means his drive went roughly 360 yards (!).
— Sadly, Thorbjornsen wasn’t in a position to capitalize on his ball placing when he reached the greens. He missed a 5-footer for birdie on the par-5 thirteenth gap and a 9-foot par putt on the par-4 14th. There additionally was a 10-footer for birdie on the par-3 eleventh and a handful of others inside 14 ft.
“Each single time I had a great have a look at it, even brief ones — I missed a pair three- and four-footers there,” Thorbjornsen mentioned. “You simply can’t be doing that. Make a few these and we’re underneath par. However, once more, I’m hitting the ball effectively and setting myself properly in order that’s all I can ask for.”
— Thorbjornsen completed with two birdies and 4 bogeys, three of which got here on his last 5 holes.
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— “Go in! Go in!” one in every of Thorbjornsen’s pals shouted after his chip on the par-4 2nd gap got here inside 18 inches. Thorbjornsen tapped that in for birdie. The opposite got here on the par-4 fifteenth when he transformed an 18-footer, his nicest putt of the day.
— Thorbjornsen’s worst miss got here on the par-5 sixth gap as his tee shot went into the tall grass on the proper aspect. Not in a position to get beneath it, Thorbjornsen despatched his subsequent shot 17 ft and remained within the tall grass.
His father walked away from the gallery and stood by himself about 25 yards behind the ball. It was a response all dad and mom and golfers certainly would discover relatable. Thorbjornsen, after conversing together with his caddie, Drew Cohen, a couple of potential drop, pitched out and carded a bogey. It felt like a win on the time.
“We’re again!” a buddy mentioned.
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One other added: “Staying alive!”
— Cohen grew up with Thorbjornsen and has caddied for him through the years together with on the 2022 U.S. Open. Cohen was the captain of the Wellesley Excessive golf group when Thorbjornsen transferred from IMG Academy his senior 12 months. Cohen beforehand attended IMG Academy with Thorbjornsen however transferred again to Wellesley largely as a result of he missed hockey. Cohen went to Wisconsin when Thorbjornsen attended Stanford.
When he was 13 years previous, Cohen instructed his father, Ross Cohen, that Thorbjornsen was going to be the perfect participant on the planet. It took Ross one spherical at TPC Boston to his son wasn’t mendacity.
“He’s a prodigy,” Ross mentioned of Thorbjornsen.
— Thorbjornsen was targeted all through the spherical, however there have been fist bumps for pals and youthful children. Thorbjornsen additionally raised his water bottle — one of many handful he cracked — as if to cheers followers who yelled from their again deck alongside the ninth gap.
“Thanks for coming!” they cheered whereas underneath a navy umbrella, to not be confused with the trademark pink of the Vacationers Championship.
— Ted, who nearly at all times gave the impression to be one shot forward, took a photograph of the scoreboard as quickly as his son’s headshot appeared on the 18th gap. He then turned to take one in every of his son proper earlier than he hit his strategy shot from 85 yards to 14 ft.
Thorbjornsen’s two-putt from there concluded a wonderful spherical, certain. However it however was a really special occasion in his profession.
