Lindell is approaching the most important weeks of his career with a relaxed mindset – “In a way, a turning point in my career”
Oliver Lindell is set to face the two most significant tournaments of his career to date. The DP World Tour Finals, to be held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, will determine whether the Virvik-trained player will be competing on the DP World Tour next season, or whether he is set to make the leap to the world’s number one tour, the PGA Tour.
“I’ve been able to prepare well for these finals for quite some time now. That’s why I haven’t had to give the prospect of a potential promotion any further thought, nor have I let it stress me out. Naturally, I’m just going out there to play as well as I possibly can. This is, of course, a turning point in my career in some way, as this is likely to be the last year that direct promotion to the PGA Tour is offered via the DPWT. I’m feeling quite calm as I set out to give it my all over the next four days.”
The Finn’s confidence in his own game is high, and Lindell’s performance during the early-week training sessions at Yas Links has looked impressive. The biggest concerns are likely to be the current global situation and the scorching heat. Temperatures in the United Arab Emirates are approaching 40 degrees.
“I hope we can wrap this week up nicely, and do the same next week and on our return home.”
Lindell heads into the tournament better prepared than last year, as he also played on those same final courses a year ago. Even then, his driving was at a good level, but his putting – the weakest in the field – made it difficult to score well in tournaments where birdies are key. Together with his coach, he has gained a better grasp of the greens, and the atmosphere is calm on the eve of the tournament.
“This week we’ll be playing at a fast pace under par. Putting will play a major role. The greens here are superb, and the tournament will certainly feature more challenging holes than during the practice rounds. Success will largely depend on how many 5–6-metre putts you can sink,” said Lindell.
Last year, the leading duo of Aaron Rai and Tommy Fleetwood posted a score of -25 at Yas Links. Rory McIlroy, who rounded off the top three, is likely to be among the pre-tournament favourites again this year, alongside the aforementioned pair. Surprisingly, a victory in Abu Dhabi is missing from McIlroy’s list of achievements, despite his numerous top-three finishes.
The starting groups for the opening round have been drawn based on the rankings, so the Finnish player’s playing partners will be Joe Dean and Bernd Wiesberger, who are in the closest contention for the PGA Tour card. The Austrian, who is a 13-time winner of numerous professional tournaments and a veteran of many major championships, has not only his career to worry about but also the arrival of a new baby in his family in the coming days, which has naturally affected his preparations. Wiesberger is due to fly home between the final rounds, so he will miss out on preparing for next week’s tournament.
A comparison of the three players highlights Lindell’s incredible consistency in achieving top results. The Finn’s average ranking for the season is 29th, whilst Wiesberger’s is 44th and Dean’s 46th. Both of them have won a tournament this season, which is why they are ranked alongside Lindell in the same positions.
The trio will start their race at 9.17 Finnish time.