Northern Ireland's Jonathan Caldwell finishes fifth at Challenge Tour event as Sweden's Björn Åkesson collects maiden victory

Sweden's Björn Åkesson posted a four under par round of 68 to reach 18 under par and win by one-shot ahead of two-time Challenge Tour winner Lee Slattery at Humewood Golf Club.

The NMB Championship was reduced to 54 holes due to strong winds on Saturday, meaning Åkesson was forced to resume his third round on Sunday after completing only four holes.

35-year-old Åkesson retired in 2017 after losing his DP World Tour playing rights and falling out of love with the game, however he returned to the Challenge Tour this year after a stellar 2023 which saw him earn promotion by topping the Nordic Golf League Order of Merit.

“It feels amazing right now,” he said. “This win has given me so much confidence and belief in my golf game after not playing at this level for such a long time.

“I lost my DP World Tour card in 2016 and I wasn’t enjoying my golf anymore,” he said. “I decided to quit and go into coaching for a few years and after that I felt like I wanted to try and compete again.

“I graduated from the Nordic Golf League last season and I’m really looking forward to this year on the Challenge Tour.”

Australian Hayden Hopewell posted a four under par round of 68 to finish third on 16 under, while Frenchman Martin Couvra finished a shot further back in fourth.

Northern Ireland's Jonathan Caldwell finished fifth on 14 under par, while South African Jaco Prinsloo and Frenchman Romain Wattel finished sixth on 13 under.

Caldwell explained that he spent a lot of time watching Netflix as play was suspended for over six hours on Saturday.

“It was a very lazy day,” he said. “I had a lot of hours on the sofa with a lot of Netflix but luckily I got out for a few holes when the wind dropped down and took advantage of it.

“I knew by the forecast that it was going to be a long day so I was mentally prepared and at one point I wasn’t expecting to be on the golf course. It was great to get out for a few holes and hopefully we can get back out in the morning.”