Lindell showed his character once again – a strong finish secured his place in the next round in a good striking position.
Oliver Lindell's second round at the Soudal Open looked difficult for a long time in terms of results. The round, which started on the back nine, did not offer any decent birdie opportunities until Lindell's 14th hole (hole 5/par 5). There, his game strategy of three strokes onto the green resulted in a three-metre birdie putt, which the Finn managed to sink.
The slow start to the round did not worry Lindell, as he felt his swing was significantly better than in the opening round in challenging conditions.
"My caddie and I were just talking about how the first clearly makeable birdie putt was on the fifth fairway. It's quite difficult to score there when the wind is strong and you're in the middle of the forest, where the wind swirls around a lot. Today was much better than yesterday, and my putting was generally at a higher level," Lindell said with satisfaction.
Although halfway through the round it looked like he might even be eliminated, the Finn pulled himself together in a way that has been seen many times this season. The two bogeys on the first nine holes were replaced by two birdies on the back nine, which meant a par round.
The overall score of -2 keeps Lindell in a good position for the weekend, as he is only three strokes away from a top 10 finish. He mentioned the possibility of rain in Antwerp, which could shake things up.
"However, my game was on the upswing, as the front nine was even more difficult, especially with club selection, but on the back nine, my shots were more accurate. In cold weather, the ball just doesn't fly anywhere. The course is challenging enough that even big gains are possible over the weekend. Today was a strong finish, which put us in a reasonable position for the weekend," Lindell said optimistically.
There are only two par 5s on the Belgian course, and they are absolute must-make shots. Lindell managed to get a birdie on one of them on Friday, but on the other he got a bogey, which put him in a tight spot.
"My tee shot was about 20 centimetres to the right of the fairway, and my second shot went way off to the left. The ball ended up in a ditch, which is a water hazard, so I had to take a drop."
Scotland's Ewen Ferguson took the lead with a course record (64/-7) and a score of -11. The Scot has not made a single bogey in 36 holes played. Another Finnish player, Tapio Pulkkanen, suffered his third consecutive elimination with a score of +3.
Lindell's tee time for Saturday is 10:35 Finnish time, together with Matthew Jordan.