Lindell seventh in Scotland – another improvement on his best career result!
Oliver Lindell played his final round at the Nexo Championship in Scotland to a par score (72), and his overall score of -1 earned him his best finish on the main tour – T7. Sunday's round got off to a great start when the Finn managed to birdie holes 1 and 2. A bogey on the fourth hole was immediately offset by a birdie on the next hole, but after that, there were few opportunities to improve his position.
Takaysi finished with a score of +2, which was enough to improve his career-best finish by three places. In addition to his best career finish, Lindell took home a prize pot of €60,000 from his trip to Scotland. His putter, which remained hot throughout the final day and the entire competition, was the reason for his top result, even though Takaysi did have one short slip-up.
"It was a steady week, but the finish was really tense today. The back nine was really difficult for me all week except for Friday, and the wind picked up really strongly towards the end, whereas at the beginning we had the best conditions of the week. At the end of the round, my approach shots were simply too far off, and I couldn't get any openings. I could have taken par on the 16th, but the last hole was really tough today because of the wind. I should have chipped from the green when I missed a full shot with the putter," said Lindell about the end of the round, which dropped him just outside the top 5.
Although the back nine statistically tarnished his scorecard a little, the conditions this week played their part in making it challenging. In these conditions, playing such an even competition, where all round scores were within three strokes and there were no double bogeys on the card, is a great achievement. Lindell has played an incredible 158 holes in a row without a double bogey.
Lindell's perhaps unusual preparation for the competition, with very little practice time, ultimately led to a top performance. He did not arrive at the course until Tuesday, as stormy winds prevented his plane from landing in Aberdeen. There are certainly many reasons for the best competition of his career. The confidence gained from The Open, the confirmation of his card for next season, and the challenging conditions that suit his playing style all certainly played their part. However, the man himself considers his current form to be the most important factor.
"My game has been so good in recent weeks that it doesn't really matter where I play. It certainly affects my game that I no longer have to fight for next year's job, now that my card is secure."
Although challenging conditions may suit certain players' playing styles, that doesn't mean that playing is easy and enjoyable.
"It was a stressful week, because I had to hit the fairway every time. This is a good place to continue next week's 'home game' in Denmark. The overall package is well put together, so it will be nice to try again next week. It looks like the weather will be a little more reasonable than here," Lindell laughed.