In the chilly embrace of an early Finnish fog, which delayed the start by just over a pair of hours, Alexander Levy emerged as if he was born to play in the mist, firing off a spectacular eight-under-par 64 at the Vierumäki Resort.
Now, that’s how you make lemonade out of lemons—or should we say, birdies out of bogeys, although he made none of the latter.
Levy, the Frenchman with a golf club as a wand, bewitched the course into submission, capturing a two-stroke lead in this weekend’s dance, known officially as the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge.
His card was speckled with eight birdies, landing him at a handsome eighteen under par, two clear of his nearest rival, the spirited Spaniard Angel Ayora.
Now, let’s not forget, this man has hoisted the trophy five times on the DP World Tour.
Yet, here he is, gunning for his maiden Challenge Tour victory, a win that might just book his ticket back to the big leagues, the Golf’s Global Tour. A
s he put it, with typical Levy charm, “It was a good day, with some nice putts. I’m very pleased.
You have to seize the par fives here and make sure your putter is hotter than a Finnish sauna.”
His goals are clear as a bell: to return to the DP World Tour, and a win at Vierumäki could just be the golden ticket he needs.
“I’m trying not to get ahead of myself,” he cautioned. “Focus is on one tournament at a time.
But boy, it feels great to be playing this well and knowing I’m good enough to get my card back.”
What’s more, it’s a family affair this week for Levy. His father, Philippe, is on the bag, caddying for him for the first time in a professional event.
“It’s lovely having my dad here,” he smiled. “It’s a cool experience we’re both thoroughly enjoying.”
Levy plans to stick to his game plan, which has served him superbly over the first three rounds, as he tees off in the final group tomorrow at 11:01 AM with Sweden’s Oliver Gillberg and the aforementioned Ayora breathing down his neck.
As the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge heads into its grand finale, the leaderboard is as tightly packed as the morning fog was dense. With Levy at the helm, golf fans are in for a real treat.
The only question left: Can he close the deal under the watchful eyes of both his father and the looming return to golf’s grandest stages?
