Patient Åkesson goes low in Finland

Sweden’s Björn Åkesson hopes that fresh perspective and a clear head will turn into results as he charged to a share of the lead at the midway point of the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge.

The 33-year-old, who bounced between the DP World and Challenge Tour between 2011-2017 before taking a prolonged break from the game, carded a bogey-free ten under par 62 to reach the top of the leaderboard on 14 under par. Åkesson sharesthe lead with the in-form German pair Marc Hammer and Freddy Schott.

“It felt quite easy today, started rolling down birdies in the beginning and then just kept my head straight and didn’t care about the birdies and then I started with some more birdies” he said.

“In the morning it was not very windy, so you knew you had to shoot a low score to be up there, and I did. I was just thinking to be patient, be patient and I did that well and on the back nine I had more birdies. You know the boring shot-by-shot and I did that very well, holed a few good putts, missed a few as well. I was just playing as I want to play golf.”

Åkesson stayed close to the game during his break from competitive play and is glad to be back in the mix on the Challenge Tour

“This is just my fourth event; I am teaching a little bit in Malmo, so I play and practice a lot. The form has been there, I just need to play a few more tournaments.’

”Now I am going to go to a lake close by and have a swim, then practice a bit, then relax!”

Hammer, who won the Euram Bank Open last month, continued his hot streak by matching Åkesson’s 62, as the early starters made the most of favourable conditions:

“I think just tee to green, I hit a lot of fairways. I am controlling the ball pretty well with the driver,” Hammer commented.

“The irons and wedges, they just feel solid, I know what to do, how to curve the ball and then the putter, on a day like this it is just working. Game feels good, ten under, I’ll take it!”

Victor Riu of France is one shot back on 13 under par, whilst Dane Martin Simonsen, ranked tenth in the Road to Mallorca standings a further stroke behind alongside Velten Meyer in a share of fifth.