Martin Keskari comes into the Swedish Challenge hosted by Robert Karlsson carrying plenty of momentum after experiencing two of professional golf’s great thrills— leading a tournament, and almost shooting the game’s magic number.
Making his first appearance on the European Challenge Tour this season, the German began his weekend at the Euram Bank Open with four-consecutive birdies, but did not stop there.
“I putted really well in the beginning. I holed some and got it going early, was six under through nine, birdied ten to keep it going and birdied 12 to keep it really going,” Keskari said. “And then, at eight under through 12, of course on a par 70, shooting 59 is kind of running through your head a little bit.”
The German continued to hit quality shot after quality shot, and when Sean Crocker — the leader after two rounds — made bogey on his opening-hole, Keskari was suddenly sitting on top of the Euram Bank Open leaderboard.
🚨New-leader Alert🚨@MartinKeskari is -8 through 12 holes and after a bogey from @seancrocker11 at the first, the 🇩🇪 now holds sole possession of the #EuramBankOpen lead!
— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) July 28, 2018
Live updates: https://t.co/efvaTIqZRY pic.twitter.com/RQztigiKVj
Although his progress towards a sub-60 score was ultimately stalled on the physically demanding Golf Club Adamstal, the 26 year old kept a positive demeanour.
“I didn’t play bad on the last holes, the putts just didn’t drop like they did on the front nine and I ended up shooting eight under,” he said.
Some players might walk off the course disappointed after a failed brush with history, but Keskari had no issue with his sensational 62.
“It was a good round and it felt unbelievable.”
One of the hardest things to do in golf is to back-up an incredible round with a good score the next day. Starting with a share of fifth place, Keskari never flinched, holding his own with final round 68 that kept him in the top five.
Now, the Frankfurt resident has new plans as he is a late addition to the Swedish Challenge hosted by Robert Karlsson field by virtue of the exemption for top ten finishers of the previous week’s event.
“I kind of didn’t plan on playing this week on a top ten because the season hasn’t been going that great,” he said.
While Keskari will make only his second start on the Challenge Tour this season, he does have experience on Europe’s top-developmental circuit, which may prove to be critical as he aims to press on.
“I was out here on tour in 2016, and I just didn’t feel comfortable all season long. I didn’t have enough money to really play and it just didn’t feel good to me.
“In Austria, I went there really relaxed. I knew I had nothing to lose and I could just go out and play, have fun and enjoy it and that’s kind of what I did, and it really changed my week and my game as well.
“My game is feeling really good, it hasn’t felt this good all year actually.”
One of the keys this week at Katrineholms Golf Club, will be Keskari’s recently-made adjustments to his ball-flight, as he aims for another strong-showing to help secure his Challenge Tour card for next year.
“I’ve worked on hitting both shapes again. I used to hook the ball really badly, and now I’ve tried to get back to fading it as well and that’s worked out pretty well.”
The Swedish Challenge hosted by Robert Karlsson begins Thursday as a full-field of Europe’s most-promising up-and-comers continue the season-long Road To Ras Khaimah where the top-15 point-leaders will graduate onto the European Tour.
