Lindell, brimming with confidence, returns to the heart of the competition on one of his favourite courses
Oliver Lindell is set to embark on a three-week run of tournaments starting in Belgium, following a week-long break due to the majors. The break was preceded by a strong performance in Spain, where the Porvoo native set a new course record – which stood in his name for a short while – and ultimately finished in a fine 10th place.
The course in Antwerp is also to Lindell’s liking, as he came close to breaking the course record in last year’s tournament in Belgium, finishing just one stroke short on Saturday. A slight dip in form on the final day knocked him out of the title race at the time, but the venue left a positive impression on the Finn. The course is relatively short, but it forces players to hit precise tee shots, often with a club smaller than a driver. This was already known last year, which is why a precision club was dug out of the bag for this purpose.
“The minidriver has been around for a year now; I started using it here last year. It was a good week back then, even though I faltered on the final day. I really liked the course last year – it’s a lovely woodland course.”
Moving to Europe has meant shorter journeys to the venue and allowed for a longer break at home. Lindell didn’t travel to rainy Belgium until Tuesday, heading straight into a practice round. He still has nine holes of practice ahead of him in Wednesday evening’s Pro-Am.
“The course is softer than it was last year, as it has been raining over the past few days. However, the course should firm up as the week goes on, as warmer weather is forecast for the end of the week. Practice rounds are taking place in poorer conditions, but the weekend is set to be fantastic as the weather warms up nicely,” said Lindell.
Pro-Am commitments keep the in-form Finn busy week in, week out. Lindell is currently ranked 33rd in the Race to Dubai standings. A late Pro-Am tee-off is not ideal preparation for the tournament, but fortunately Lindell will not tee off until the afternoon round on Thursday at 15:05. He will be joined on the 10th tee tomorrow by the English duo of Todd Clements and Richard Mansell.