Lindell from top form to the final day – five strokes ahead: "I guess there was more adrenaline in my blood than usual."
Oliver Lindell played the third round with a score of -4, just like on the opening day, and his total score moved into double digits (-10). Three strong rounds under par are enough for an impressive T6 position. Just one stroke behind him is Rory McIlroy, once his idol in his youth, but now one of his toughest competitors.
Lindell played better in the third round, especially on the green. His putting was as strong as it had been all week, except for a few missed opening strokes.
"Another good day today, the putts were sinking better, even though a few went wide – at least we were back on track. The irons were hot once again. I hit a few perfect irons right on the line, so I guess there was a little more adrenaline in my blood than usual," said Lindell with satisfaction.
Saturday's round went fairly smoothly, with the only bogey coming on the par 3 green bunker. Two birdies at the end of the front nine sparked the game after a quiet phase.
The first of these came after a slightly frustrating incident on the 7th hole, when Lindell missed the only short putt of the day from just over a metre. It was a much-needed wake-up call for the round. The ball landed about five metres behind the flag and looked like it was going to roll all the way back into the cup.
"The opening shot on the eighth hole was close to going in, but it just lacked a little spin and stopped about 20 centimetres short. Those were important back-to-back birdies for the round. As long as I can get off to a good start tomorrow, my iron play will give me opportunities anywhere. As soon as you hit off the fairway, you're in bogey territory. Fortunately, that didn't happen today."
Although his putter hasn't been particularly hot on any of the days, he is once again on track to improve his best career finish. He is only two strokes away from a top-three finish and five strokes behind the leader, France's Adrien Saddieri. Lindell is third in the strokes gained statistics for approach shots and tenth in the opening game.
"It would be nice to take Rory's scalp. It's undeniably cool to be playing for the same positions as him. There's no need to change anything for tomorrow."
Lindell will tee off for his final round at 2:36 p.m. Finnish time with Spain's Rafa Cabrera Bello. Tapio Pulkkanen will also start the final round in a good position (T16/-7) an hour before Lindell.