An outstanding performance in the flagship competition secured Lindell a place in the Race to Dubai final!
Oliver Lindell performed brilliantly on the final day of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, shooting a 68 (-4). The competition proved to be extremely tough, with a total score of -13 securing him a place in T13. The Finn played four solid rounds, but the world's top players maintained their unbeatable pace even in the final round.
This week's top ranking was extremely valuable, as it was enough to secure his main goal for the season: a place in the Race to Dubai final.
"I can be very satisfied with this competition, as I have now secured a place in the final in Dubai. The course didn't really suit me at all, and the draw holes made the game more stressful than usual. Even so, I can only be satisfied. My approach shots have been the key to my results over the last two weeks," said the man from Virvik.
After three rounds, Lindell was in third place in the Strokes Gained statistics for approach shots, and his 13 greens in regulation on the final day are unlikely to affect that statistic.
The Porvoo native already showed signs of a magnificent comeback in the middle of the final round when he climbed into the top three after his sixth birdie of the day. However, the leading group still had plenty of holes left at this stage, so it would have taken a miracle to get into contention for the win. Even Lindell himself did not consider it realistic, despite his birdie spree.
"In my opinion, I was never close to the top at any point, even though at one stage the difference was only a few strokes. I knew that I would need to score at least 15 under par to secure a place in the top 5. Heavy rain combined with fairways that required a draw shot made the end of the round challenging."
Like Lindell, Sweden's Alex Noren, who spins the ball from left to right, dug deep in the final round to produce some exceptional draw shots and played his way into a playoff against Adrian Saddier for the win. Noren, who plays on the PGA Tour, continued his impressive run by claiming his second victory on the DP World Tour after returning to Europe at the end of the PGA season.
Lindell's final day included six birdies and two bogeys. The four-under result was ultimately a pleasing one, as the back nine included some wayward drives, bunker shots and even a water ball on the final hole.
"It was fun until the 14th hole. At that point, it started raining harder, and I hit three slices off the tee, got stuck somehow and couldn't really get anywhere. I was lucky to get through those three holes with a score of +1. I had good luck on the 15th hole when the ball was about to get lost in the rough, but fortunately a spectator stepped on it and it was found. On the 18th hole, I had nothing to lose, so I hit a good second shot slightly to the left of the flag, and the ball ended up in the water. I made a good up & down pair, which left a good taste in my mouth," said Lindell.