From first reserve to first tee in 20 minutes - Jonas Baumgartner's roller coaster Thursday

At 1.40pm on Thursday, with just 40 minutes to go until the last group teed off, Jonas Baumgartner was sat in the locker room at Great Northern thinking he would be heading home soon.

At 2.00pm he was teeing off in the Danish Golf Championship.

Joakim Lagergren's withdrawal on Monday meant that Baumgartner had become first reserve and with three days left for another withdrawal, the German headed over from the United States for a potential DP World Tour debut as a professional.

"I was first reserve on Monday and flew over from the States. I got here to the golf course at 6.30 in the evening on Tuesday," he said.

The 23-year-old appeared in the BMW International Open while playing collegiate golf at Oklahoma State in 2022 and 2023 and after turning professional in 2024 speant half a season on the HotelPlanner Tour.

Since then he has largely played on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Americas but here was a chance to play on a top-tier tour.

Nearly 48 hours after his first arrival at the course, it looked like that chance was gone but then an injury to Richie Ramsay gave him the latest of late entries.

"I waited all day," he said. "Warmed up twice to see if we were going to get the chance and I was, not leaving, but resting in the locker room for ten minutes and I got a call saying you're up in 20 minutes."

With no time to get to the range, Baumgartner, who had played nine holes on Wednesday, revealed his preparation became more mental than physical.

"The range is pretty far away so I just thought I'd hit a few putts and get mentally ready," he said.

"I was kind of out of it mentally. We're in the third to last group, not a lot of chance of getting in anymore and then all of a sudden you're on it, game mode on so I just tried to prepare mentally."

Playing alongside English duo Matthew Baldwin and Todd Clements, it was understandable when Baumgartner's opening drive went right and he surrendered a bogey.

But he was under par by the fourth and then made 13 pars in a row before dropping a shot on the last in a 72.

"Glad to play, the course is awesome," he said. "I had a really great group as well, it was fun.

"I felt like I was playing pretty good, especially the front nine I had a couple of chances. Overall it was pretty solid and it was nice that I was able to get some practice in yesterday and this morning. I was pretty glad with even par."

At level par, Baumgartner has every chance of making the cut and if he makes the weekend, those 20 minutes on Thursday afternoon could prove life-changing.