Staff WriterMikael Lindberg seized the early advantage at the Turkish Airlines Open with the sort of finish that makes a leaderboard twitch like a nervous caddie over a three-footer, signing for a bogey-free 66 to lead by one after the opening round at National Golf Club.
For much of Thursday in Belek, Antalya, Lindberg looked more like a man keeping his card tidy than one about to kick the front door off its hinges. He was one under par starting his back nine, some distance behind early clubhouse leaders Alejandro Del Rey and Ewen Ferguson, who had already posted five under.
Then the Swede found the accelerator.
Four birdies in his closing six holes lifted him to six under par, clear at the top and suddenly looking very much like a player carrying last week’s confidence in the side pocket.
A Slow Start, Then A Proper Sprint Finish
Lindberg’s opening round was not built on fireworks from the first tee. It was more controlled burn than bonfire.
His first birdie did not arrive until the 18th hole — his ninth of the day — but that proved to be the hinge on which the round turned. From there, he birdied the par-five first and fourth, then moved to four under with a sharp piece of short-game work after an excellent tee shot.
Two closing gains completed the job.
No bogeys. Six birdies. One very useful day at the office.
And in a field where 62 players finished under par, on a sunny day with minimal breeze and preferred lies in operation, Lindberg still managed to separate himself. Not by much, granted, but in tournament golf, one shot is the difference between sleeping like a prince and staring at the ceiling wondering why the hotel pillow has developed elbows.
Lindberg’s China Momentum Rolls Into Turkey
The timing could hardly be better.
Lindberg arrived at the Turkish Airlines Open fresh from a career-best third-place finish at the Volvo China Open, a result that launched him to eighth in the Asian Swing Rankings.
This week is the fourth and final counting event on that Swing, which gives the leaderboard more weight than a first-round glance might suggest.
A place in next month’s U.S. PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club is available to those finishing inside the top three of the Asian Swing Rankings. The overall Asian Swing winner also earns entry into all the Back 9 events, along with a US$200,000 prize money bonus.
So yes, Thursday was only day one. But for Lindberg, it was also an opening move in a much larger game.
Three Chasers One Back In Belek
Behind Lindberg, South Africa’s Daniel van Tonder matched the bogey-free brief with a 67 in the afternoon wave, joining Alejandro Del Rey and Ewen Ferguson in a tie for second at five under.
That trio sits close enough to apply immediate pressure, especially on a National Golf Club layout that asks for accuracy off the tee and some nerve on greens beginning to firm up.
Defending champion Martin Couvra opened with a four-under 68, a solid start to his title defence, and shares fifth place with countryman Frederic Lacroix, England’s Sam Bairstow, and Swedish pair Adam Blomme and Jens Dantorp.
It is tightly packed, as early leaderboards tend to be. But Lindberg owns the view for now.
National Golf Club Shows Its Teeth — Quietly
The conditions in Belek were pleasant enough to make a holidaymaker suspicious: bright skies, little wind, and enough warmth to remind the field that Antalya rarely does gloomy by accident.
Yet National Golf Club is no pushover. Narrow corridors off the tee mean players cannot simply swing like they are trying to swat a wasp in a phone box. The greens, firming as the day wore on, punished loose approaches and made recovery shots more demanding than the scorecard might suggest.
Lindberg, crucially, kept the ball in play and then found warmth with the putter.
That combination tends to travel well.
What Lindberg Said
Mikael Lindberg: It was a very good day for sure. I started off pretty slow though. I made a good few saves on the front nine and then knocked it close on 18 and from there, rolled in a few more.
It’s pretty tricky. The greens are firming up a little bit so if you are a little bit offline it’s very difficult to get it close. I have been holing quite a lot of putts actually, struggling a bit on the greens lately but this week and last has been pretty good so hopefully it can continue.
It is very narrow but to be fair I have been driving it pretty good lately, so I have been just focusing a little bit more on the putting. It’s nice to see some results.
I am looking forward to the buffet at Regnum, there are so many options. It’s basically food from all over the world and the quality is very good so I am looking forward to that.
The Bigger Picture At The Turkish Airlines Open
The first round of the Turkish Airlines Open has given Lindberg the perfect platform, but not much breathing room.
With Ferguson, Del Rey and van Tonder just one behind, and a sizeable group at four under, Friday already has the feel of a sorting day. One loose stretch could send a player tumbling down the page; one tidy run could change the shape of the week entirely.
For Lindberg, the encouraging bit is not just the number. It is how he found it. Slow start, no panic, patient saves, and then a finishing kick that turned a decent round into the best one on the property.
Golf has a habit of asking awkward follow-up questions after a good opening statement. Lindberg answered the first one beautifully.
Now Belek gets to see whether he can keep talking.
