Oliver Lindell achieves his best career ranking in Turkey with a dream finish
Oliver Lindell scored five birdies on Sunday to secure his best DPWT finish to date, T12. The Finnish player took 68 strokes on the final round, giving him a total score of -10.
"I felt good at the end, which was enough for the best result of my career. The last few holes just looked good to me all week. On the 18th hole, I knew I could miss to the right. Today, I sank five- and seven-metre putts on the 17th and 18th holes."
The last two holes at Regnum Caryan were completely under the Finn's control, as he played them five strokes under par during the four rounds. The par on the 16th hole on Sunday was a magnificent save, as Lindell had to hit a low, rolling iron shot from among the trees onto the green with his second shot. After this, on the 17th tee, Lindell asked his caddie what the situation was like on the last few holes.
The first round was challenging for the Finn today, as he struggled to get results despite some good shots.
"After the 9th hole, I was annoyed because I hadn't hit a single bad shot, but I just couldn't get a result. I didn't see the lines on the greens all week, and today I couldn't get anything in. My putting was the best it has been all week, but I didn't get the reward."
The Finnish player's round was about to take a turn for the worse when he made a serious mistake on the most difficult hole on the course.
"Yes, that double bogey dampened my spirits. I hit an amateurish shot when my opening shot went too low and hit the tee box. After the poor tee shot, I was 250 metres from the flag. I went for the green, but the fade spin didn't come. The ball ended up in the bushes on the left, from where there was no other option but to hit it out of the bushes," Lindell recounted his mistake.
The long-awaited start of the European Swing, with friends and family in attendance, produced the desired result.
"I've been waiting for this tournament for a long time. If someone had promised me a top 20 finish before the tournament, I would have taken it. I left a lot of shots on the course, but I can't complain when I played the last 8 holes today at -5. My iron play was the best of the week, I've started hitting from the centre instead of the front foot, which allows me to hit both spins," Lindell summed up his week.
"The course suited me perfectly, which explains my best career ranking. My game is by no means the best of my career, but I'm strong with my irons. Even if the distance is 160 to the flag, I'm able to hit close at the moment. I hit the driver really low this week, practically the same as hitting from the ground. I hope to get back to my old form for future competitions."
Lindell did not make a single bogey on the par 3 holes during the week, which underlines his almost flawless iron play.
"Today, my longest shot was seven metres with a 3-iron on a 220-metre par 3 hole."
The competition was won by Martin Couvra of France, in only his 15th DPWT start, with a score of -17.