Lindell had the best shot of the week, but didn't get the prize – a water ball on the last hole stopped him from climbing the leaderboard.
Oliver Lindell clearly played his best round of the week in Sunday’s final round. However, despite 14 birdies and some really strong drives, his reward was “only” a score of -1. His overall score of -3 puts the Finn in around 25th place. However, his score before the final hole was an impressive -3.
“I didn’t miss a single shot today, even though I couldn’t seem to hit the 10th fairway. I played really steady today, but I just couldn’t get any putts in. The flag positions were difficult without exception, and I was often on the wrong side of the hole and sometimes too far away. Great work before the last hole…,” said Lindell.
As was the case yesterday, the round ended on a disappointing note. This time, it was more a combination of poor choices and poor execution than yesterday’s bad luck. However, the low score can be found in DPWT’s results service, which showed Lindell incorrectly putting four times on the last green. In reality, his third shot ended up in the water, and he hit his fifth shot onto the green, resulting in two putts. This meant an unfortunate double bogey with a penalty stroke.
“I couldn’t catch the wind on the 18th hole, which is why my lay-up ended up being 10 metres long. The intention was to leave 85 metres to the flag and a good lie, but my second shot slipped to 75 metres and a slightly awkward lie. I went for a safe third shot 10 metres behind the flag, but it ended up in the front rocks by the water. Luckily, I was able to drop the ball 85 metres away, which gave me the full wedge I wanted.”
“It was a stupid decision to hit the lay-up too close, and in hindsight, I could have hit a mini driver behind the green into the stands, which would have given me a free drop. This showed that I’m not very familiar with the course, as many people have told me that behind the green is a safe place, especially for today’s flag. Hopefully we’ll learn something from this, and next year we won’t hit a gap shot within 100 metres,” Lindell said.
Speculation is pointless, but three failed holes cost him a place among the leaders this week. Holes 10, 17 and 18 cost him ten strokes compared to leader Patrick Reed, which is also the difference between the two players’ scores at the moment. Overall, the week can be considered a success, as a ranking of around 25th in a high-level competition is a great achievement, even if it leaves something to be desired in terms of future competitions.
“I’ve never been so devastated before; these situations have always been handled with dignity. Next week, on an easier field, there’s nothing else to do but look ahead.”
American Patrick Reed (-13) has seen his lead at the top of the leaderboard narrow to two strokes. David Puig is breathing down the American star’s neck, just two strokes behind.