Dutch Open 2021 R2
September 16-19
Bernardus Golf, Cromvoirt, Netherlands
€1,000,000
Round 1, Round 3, Round 4

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Sweden's Kristoffer Broberg fired his lowest European Tour round in nearly six years to take a one shot lead into the weekend at the Dutch Open.

He played nine birdies and made a single bogey at the par-4 16th for a 64 to move to 12-under.

Dutch Open 2021 R2

"I played really well today. I started off with three straight birdies and then I hit a good shot on 13, that tough par three there, but I missed a short one then birdied 14. It was ups and downs out there, I hit some bad shots and some really good shots but my putter is smoking hot, so I am playing some decent golf.

"I like to shape the ball both ways and I like to putt around these greens, it's a lot of feels and breaks, but I am hitting the ball really close so that has been key. Right now it is shootable when you hit into the green, it isn't that firm, but when you hit into the wind it is pretty soft so you can attack the pins but I don't know if the wind is going to pick up and dry the greens out, so we will see over the weekend."

Dutch Open 2021 R2

Broberg won three events in the span of four weeks on the 2012 European Challenge Tour and won the BMW Masters on the European Tour in 2015.

He lost his card in 2017, regained it at the Qualifying School but suffered hip and knee injuries that prevented him from playing more than eleven events in the next three years.

Dutch Open 2021 R2

So far this year he missed six of his first eight cuts but has managed to make four of his last five.

"I am taking it one shot at a time. I have been struggling all year with injuries, so it is nice to be playing good again. It's just golf, so taking it one shot at a time.

"I was home for a month so saw an optician for my right eye and they saw something, so I have a contact lens on that eye so now I can see the putts on the line. I am rolling it pretty good so happy with it."

Denmark's Marcus Helligkilde, playing in his second European Tour event, shares second place with Belgium's Thomas Detry after both shot 66s.

"It was good," said Helligkilde. "I like this course a lot because if you can hit it far from the tee you can carry some bunkers 270 metres out, so I have been fortunate to do that, so it has been nice

"We had no wind for the first seven holes, absolutely nothing, so it was really easy out there in the morning.

"I do as I always do. I just try and have fun, stay in the process and do what I can control. I know I am going to be nervous because I am always nervous, but I am just going to have fun and enjoy the game of golf."

Overnight leader Niall Kearney of Ireland shot a 69 to slip back into a tie for fourth place at 10-under alongside Germany's Maximilian Kieffer who shot a bogey-free 68.

Dutch Open 2021 R2