Mikael Lindberg carded a second successive four under par round of 67 at Vesterby Links to take a two-shot lead into the weekend of the Indoor Golf Group Challenge.
The Swede started the day two shots back of the lead but quickly surged ahead after carding four birdies and a bogey on the front nine. Despite dropping shots at the 11th and 15th, alongside a birdie at 14, he responded with a closing eagle to reach eight under par and pull two strokes clear of eight players in second place.
The 31-year-old was pleased to finish with an eagle and attributed his lead at the halfway stage to reaping the rewards of an aggressive approach off the tee.
“It was a good day, for sure,” he said. “I felt like I played a little bit better yesterday, but I’ve been hitting my driver pretty good and I managed to hole a few putts today.
“I’ve been pretty aggressive off the tee. I think I’ve hit driver on almost every hole these two rounds and it’s been working good so far. Hopefully it will continue working during the weekend.
“It was a good finishing hole; It was downwind, so I hit driver and managed to hit the fairway. I had 208 yards left and hit a good shot to six or seven feet, so that was nice.”
Lindberg is a two-time winner on the Challenge Tour and almost added a third title at last week’s Vierumäki Finnish Challenge supported by Finnish Golf Union, finishing one shot behind compatriot Christofer Blomstrand in a tie for second – a result he feels has given him momentum coming into this week.
“It definitely helps me that I played good last week coming into Sweden,” he added. “I was playing really well, and I felt like my game was right there to win it, but obviously Christofer managed to play just a little bit better.”
Overnight co-leader Adam Andersson shares second place at six under par with compatriot Jesper Sandborg, Dutchmen Wil Besseling and Lars Van Meijel, Frenchmen Pierre Pineau and Julien Sale, Northern Ireland’s Dermot McElroy, and Finn Oliver Lindell, who carded the low round of the day with a six under 66.
Three players are a shot further back in tenth, including South Africa’s Bryce Easton, Swede Rikard Karlberg and Englishman George Bloor.
The third round of the Indoor Golf Group Challenge gets under way at 7:30am local time, with Lindberg teeing off alongside Lindell and Andersson at 12:03pm.
