On a thrilling moving day at the Black Desert NI Open presented by Tom McKibbin, Joakim Lagergren dazzled the crowds with a remarkable nine-under-par round of 61 at Galgorm Castle Golf Club.
The Swedish golfer’s brilliant performance, featuring seven birdies and an eagle without a single bogey, catapulted him to the top of the leaderboard with a total of 15 under par.
This puts him one stroke ahead of Ireland’s Conor Purcell, who was the overnight leader.
At 32 years old, Lagergren is on the cusp of capturing his second NI Open title, a decade after his first victory in 2014.
Reflecting on his impressive round, he expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of adding another win to his career.
“That was some round of golf today,” Lagergren said. “I don’t know what it is about this course.
You really have to hit good shots and you can’t get ahead of yourself because you always have a challenge in front of you which I seem to like.”
Lagergren’s round began with a solid start; he birdied three of his first four holes, quickly catching up with Purcell.
A birdie on the ninth hole was followed by an eagle on the tenth and another birdie on the eleventh.
He then gained momentum with back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th holes, positioning himself strongly for a potential round of 59.
Despite narrowly missing birdie opportunities on the 17th and 18th holes, Lagergren remains focused on his ultimate goal.
“It was a good battle between me and Conor,” he noted. “We both played some great golf out there today and it felt like we were pushing each other with a lot of birdies. I have mixed feelings as I had a great chance for a 59.
Unfortunately, I missed a five-footer on 17 and then a seven-footer on 18, but I played really well so I can’t complain. It would mean everything to win.”
As the tournament progresses into its final round, Lagergren leads the field with Purcell close behind, setting up an exciting conclusion.
French golfer Robin Sciot-Siegrist holds third place, trailing by six shots at nine under par. Pierre Pineau from France and England’s Jack Senior are tied for fourth, one stroke further back.
Danish player Hamish Brown is in sixth place at seven under par, ahead of Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and Welshman Toby Hunt, who are tied for seventh.
The final round will commence at 9:51 a.m. local time, with Lagergren, Purcell, and Sciot-Siegrist set to tee off together at 11:30 a.m., promising a captivating finish to the Black Desert NI Open.
