Lindell took second place in Denmark!
Oliver Lindell produced some fine play on the final round of the Danish Golf Championship and joined the battle for the title on Sunday. His final-round score of 68 (-4) took the Finn’s total to -12, securing him his second runner-up finish of the season. Lindell shared second place with four other players. Denmark’s Jeff Winther ultimately finished a clear winner with a score of -15.
Sharing second place brings a wealth of valuable points and lifts the Porvoo-based player to eighth place in the Race to Dubai rankings. At the end of the season, the top ten players who do not hold PGA Tour cards will earn their places on the Tour via the rankings. A solid final round left little room for doubt, and Lindell was quite pleased with his own performance.
“A couple of poor holes this week ultimately cost me the win. On the second hole, I hit a poor approach shot, followed by a weak bunker shot. From then on, I played the ball very well, especially off the tee, and sank every putt I needed to. Towards the end of the round, I came very close to sinking 10-metre putts on holes 15 and 17, but that’s how it goes this time. On the last hole, I knew that if I sank the par putt, there was a small chance of making it to a play-off. I sank a tricky downhill putt with a backhand break, and that left me feeling really good,” said Lindell.
Although Lindell had already had a moment to prepare for the possible playoff, Jeff Winther’s finish in front of his home crowd was spectacular.
“Winter pulled off quite a feat, whilst the others faltered. His eagle on the 16th and his opening shot right down the middle of the 18th green were breathtaking. That 18th hole is a gruelling one; I can’t remember a more nerve-wracking spot since the first hole at the Open. Although the hole is only 150 metres long, it’s difficult to get a good swing in strong winds.”
Lindell, who hit 72 per cent of greens in regulation, could only identify a few isolated shots where he might have performed better under pressure. His putting was also on form during the final round. With 27 putts, Lindell was the ninth-best in the field in putting as well as in terms of greens in regulation.
“My tee shot on the 17th hole somehow ended up in the fairway bunker, and that was the only spot from which I couldn’t attack the green but had to play a lay-up. That, and the wedge shot on the 15th hole, were the only ones towards the end where I could have been a bit sharper.”