Lindell improved his accuracy and moved up the leaderboard – “It took three tee shots for me to hit as many fairways as I did yesterday”
Oliver Lindell carded a 69 (-3), just as he had on Thursday, and jumped to a tie for 16th place with a total score of -6. Although his score was identical to that on the opening day, Lindell’s play was considerably more consistent. He hit the fairway more than twice as often as he had the previous day.
“It was certainly an easier round today compared to yesterday. I was much more accurate off the tee. It took me three tee shots today to reach the same number of fairways as I did yesterday,” Lindell calculated.
The high stakes this week are bound to be reflected in the game, as the aim is to secure a place in the season’s final major – The Open. In Lindell’s case, this was evident in his measured game plan and, in that sense, his cautious play – he certainly didn’t want to play himself out of contention with the leaders.
“I played quite conservatively today, thinking that tomorrow I’ll be able to turn up the pressure. The pin positions were also tighter than yesterday’s, and the wind was surprisingly strong. I did putt well again today and sank everything I needed to. It’s just that none of the longer putts went in today.”
The Finn was the best putter of the entire tournament in the opening round, gaining nearly five strokes with his putter in the ‘strokes gained’ statistic. He took just 26 putts. Off the tee, Lindell was, unusually, at the bottom of the field, but a return to his usual strong driving form bodes well for the weekend, especially as he has found the right tools for his putting game.
Although his successes came in slightly different areas to those on Thursday, he managed to score on the same holes again on Friday. The par-5s remained firmly in the Porvoo native’s grasp, as he bagged three birdies on them. The day’s only bogey came about unluckily after the ball went into the water.
“On the fourth hole, I hit a pitching wedge down towards the flag with a tailwind, but somehow the ball spun off the green at the very last moment and ended up in the water. I nearly lost my cool there, as the approach shot looked very much like a birdie when the ball left the club,” Lindell lamented.
Lindell is hoping for a strong finish on Saturday, as he is currently just four strokes off the lead and two strokes off fourth place. As is often the case in golf, not all aspects of his game have quite clicked into place during a single round. Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz (-10) has surged to the top of the leaderboard.