Oliver Lindell saw his bid for the Course Record presented by Nexo usurped but was still delighted with his efforts in round three of the 2026 Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship.
The Finn made the most of Moving Day with a seven-under-par 65 to reach nine under for the week.
With preferred lies not in use, for the first time this week, he was in line for a potential $50,000 bonus until Yurav Premlall fired a stunning 63 to beat his round and move five shots clear at the top.
Lindell had seven birdies in his first 12 holes and though he dropped his only shot of the day at the short 13th, he birdied the 16th where he had made bogey on each of the first two days.
That left him level with Dan Bradbury, Alejandro Del Rey, Eugenio Chacarra and the in-form Bernd Wiesberger on nine under, ten shots behind the impressive Premlall but within the top ten after 54 holes.
Lindell revealed the course record had been on his mind throughout, with his instincts proving accurate as to the score required.
“Actually yeah, I heard it on the putting green before the round," he smiled, speaking before Premlall finished his round. "I was thinking to shoot nine under would be enough, and then after missing that (five-foot putt) on the last, I wasn't that happy.
“But we'll see. I saw Chacarra six under through 13, so let's see what happens.”
Chacarra would settle for a five-under-par 67 after a bogey at the 17th, but Premlall birdied the final three holes to hit exactly that nine-under-par mark and spoil the party for Lindell.
The 27-year-old was happy simply to arrest a run of indifferent form, and said: “I mean, I was talking with my caddie after yesterday that, six in a row not-so-good rounds, so it can't be seven.
“I've been saying it after last week in Turkey, I said that four rounds in a row, it can't be again this Thursday, and it was. And it was yesterday as well.
“Just happy to make the cut, and today was a good chance to shoot low.
“(It was) not much different than the first two days. I mean, just I was a bit better from the tee, so I was able to attack the pins and putt it much, much better than first two rounds.”
