Thorbjorn Olesen finished a very respectable third in the 2010 Challenge Tour rankings, earning him full exemption for the 2011 European Tour.
Starting the Tour in good form – at the first tournament, the Alfred Dunhill Championship – Thorbjorn finished T-2. He then continued to play well through the season, eventually qualifying for the 2011 Open Championship.

In 2012, Thorbjorn was victorious at the Sicilian Open and finished the season overall in the top 50 of the World Golf Rankings.