Lindell off to a strong start in top competition – "I've gotten along well with my new driver"
Oliver Lindell started his competition and thus his season in the Nedbank Golf Challenge strongly with a round score of 69 (-3). The result puts him in 11th place, with some players still on their rounds. Only one stroke separates the Finn from fifth place. Lindell got off to a flying start in the competition, scoring all five of his birdies of the day on the first 11 holes.
However, this was followed by the only mistakes of the day, and two bogeys slipped in at the end of the round. He hung on to second place for a long time in the competition. The bogeys were recorded on long, challenging par 4 holes due to misjudgements. The second bogey of the day came after two bunkers, and a par save from a couple of metres was not far off.
“I can be satisfied with today, even though I gave away a couple of strokes on the back nine. The flag positions were challenging today, so it was difficult to sink putts if you had to putt from the wrong side. Still, it was a strong performance overall.”
Lindell, who had scored 13 birdies, once again hit the ball with his usual precision. However, he was particularly pleased to have rediscovered his putting game, which had been missing for a long time. The new driver, which was acquired for this tournament, also received praise.
“I hit four drives today, and they were all right down the middle. I’ve gotten along well with my new driver. I’ve worked a lot on my putting, and I’m getting it on track now. I’ve got what it takes for a good tournament,” said Lindell.
Lindell’s close rival, Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan, took the lead in the competition, finishing 16 holes with an impressive bogey-free score of -9. Lindell will have to say goodbye to his Nordic friend for a while after the South African tournament, as Reitan secured his PGA card for the coming season through the DPWT ranking.