In a fine display of golfing artistry at the Indoor Golf Group Challenge, Julien Sale and Adam Andersson decided to make the rest of the field feel like they were playing catch-up on a treadmill set to high.
Both gentlemen strutted off the course at Landeryds Golfklubb โ Vesterby Links with identical six-under-par 65s, clinging onto a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Indoor Golf Group Challenge.
Sale, the Frenchman with a penchant for early fireworks, began his day on the tenth tee and wasted no time in showing the course whoโs boss.
Two birdies right out of the gateโbam, bamโbefore adding two more for good measure on the 17th and 18th.
A bogey at the 13th was a mere blip, as he polished off his first nine holes at three-under.
Like a master painter adding finishing touches, Sale dotted his front nine with three more birdies, wrapping up a round that would make any golfer grin from ear to ear.
โIโm really happy with my performance today,โ Sale remarked. โItโs always nice to shoot under par, and six under is a really nice score.
It was really nice to start birdie-birdie. It gives you confidence and lately Iโve needed it because Iโve been playing pretty well but the scores havenโt really been there, so going under par rather quickly was really nice to get momentum and keep it going for the rest of the round.โ
The Vesterby Links greens, firm as a two-day-old baguette, posed their own unique challenges, but Sale navigated them with the finesse of a seasoned pro.
His lag putting was on point, ensuring he didnโt end up with more numbers on his card than a phone book.
โThe course this week is pretty tough,โ Sale admitted, likely still marvelling at how he tamed it.
โItโs been playing quite firm and if you miss the green complexes, itโs not an easy up and down.
The rain definitely helped a little bit today because the greens were a bit softer, so it was a touch easier to stop the ball on the greens.
My lag putting was good. I missed a couple of greens and ended up putting from off the green, but I had a good pace, leaving myself a decent chance at pars, and when I hit the greens and was pretty far from [the hole], I always had an easy two putt.โ
Meanwhile, Swedenโs own Adam Andersson, barely in his second Challenge Tour start, wasnโt about to let Sale have all the fun.
In conditions better suited for ducks than golfers, Andersson matched Saleโs 65 in the kind of weather that makes you question your life choices. For Andersson, though, it was just another day at the office.
โToday was very good,โ Andersson said with the calmness of a man whoโs done this before. โI was quite focused, struck the ball well and made a few longer putts.
I knew I needed to play well, but I didnโt have many expectations and just tried to focus on the next shot. I like this weather; I had two wins last year on the Nordic Golf League and both were in similar weather conditions, so Iโm hoping for more of the same.โ
Not far behind these two headliners is Frenchman Pierre Pineau, who closed out his day at five-under.
And hot on his heels, weโve got a pack of players sitting at four-under, including Wil Besseling, Jonathan Caldwell, and a few Swedes who are probably wondering why Andersson didnโt let them have the home course advantage.
As we gear up for the second round of the Swedish Challenge, the question on everyoneโs mind is: Can Sale and Andersson keep this up, or will someone else steal the spotlight? Whatever happens, you can bet itโll be entertaining.
