Lindell finishes in the top 30 in the opening round – "A good start, considering the preparations"
Oliver Lindell played his opening round at the windy Nexo Championship in Aberdeen with a score of par (72). This puts him in 28th place, with almost all players having finished. The round was somewhat mixed, with the front nine going very well, two strokes under par, but the back nine slipping to +2.
Playing to a par score in the afternoon tee time was not a bad performance at all, and Lindell himself has rarely been so satisfied with a score that is not below par. This time was different, as the par result, achieved with very little preparation for the challenging conditions, warmed the Finn's heart, even though a few strokes better was within reach.
"Today was a good day, especially from the tee, as I was able to hit 'normal shots' on my approach after the tee shots. My putting was also on point, even though I didn't get many putts in with the strong wind, as it's difficult to judge the behaviour of the putt in strong winds and the greens are slippery, links-style. There were some challenges with the irons into the headwind, and that's where the bogeys came today. The par result is very good here this afternoon," commented Lindell.
Lindell's preparation for the tournament was limited to just one full day of practice, as their plane was unable to land at Aberdeen Airport on Monday, and they had a long drive from London to the course ahead of them.
"Today's result was what we expected. There were a couple of unnecessary bogeys at the end, so a score of -2 would have been a commendable performance. Considering the preparation, however, it was a good start. Today, I had a shortened driver and a new 3D-printed 3-iron in my bag, which worked well. This is a good place to continue tomorrow morning."
Lindell will tee off for his second round tomorrow at 9:40 a.m. Finnish time, which means a 7:40 a.m. tee time local time, when the wind conditions are expected to be calmer.
Leading the competition after the opening round is a surprise name from South Africa – the experienced Richard Sterne (-5). He has won several tournaments on the tour, but his last victory was 12 years ago, and he has not been among the leaders in recent times. Another Finnish player, Tapio Pulkkanen, had more trouble with the Scottish winds. Pulkkanen played one double bogey and six bogeys for a score of +5, sharing 116th place.