Oliver Lindell is in pole position for his maiden Challenge Tour win after a stellar third round at the Hainan Open.
The 26-year-old Finn shot a four-under 68 at Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club, lifting him to 16 under par for the tournament, giving him a two-shot lead over Sweden’s Niklas Lemke and the Philippines’ Lloyd Jefferson Go.
Lindell’s round featured five birdies, offset by a single bogey, propelling him ahead of the overnight leaders.
He’s keen to capitalise on this advantage, admitting it’s the first time he’s led solo going into the final round on the Challenge Tour.
“I’ve never been in this position on the Challenge Tour where I have the final round lead all to myself,” he said. “It’s really nice and I’ll just try to enjoy my golf tomorrow.”
Lindell’s round began cautiously, with one birdie and one bogey on the front nine. However, a flawless back-nine surge with birdies on the 10th, 13th, 15th, and 18th helped him break free of the pack.
Reflecting on his day, Lindell shared, “I had a frustrating start to the round,” he added. “I missed a couple of short putts yesterday and today it continued with a big lip out on the first.
“I stayed patient and on the back nine, I played really good golf and managed to get the round under par.
“I checked the leaderboard after nine holes and I knew that people were making lots of birdies and I was just glad I managed to play well.
“Tee-to-green has been really good. I have been feeling so comfortable on the tee and on the fairway. My putting could be better but luckily a couple dropped.”
Behind Lindell, a trio—Dane Hamish Brown, England’s Ben Schmidt, and Chinese favourite Zihao Jin—sits in fourth place at 13 under par.
South African duo Wilco Nienaber and JC Ritchie, along with Sweden’s Björn Åkesson, are one shot further back in seventh.
The final round begins at 7:30 am local time, with Lindell, Lemke, and Go teeing off in the final group at 9:31 am.
