Christian Lundgaard likens an NTT INDYCAR SERIES season to a round of golf.

Lundgaard, an avid golfer, spent his off week on the course leading into Sunday’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

His girlfriend, Gabriella Gilrowski, is a collegiate golfer at Tulane University. She competed in a tournament last Monday and Tuesday in Dallas, prompting Lundgaard to travel and support her. He returned to Indianapolis on Tuesday night before flying to California on Wednesday, where he played a round with Arrow McLaren teammate Nolan Siegel. On Thursday, Lundgaard participated in the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Golf Invitational to help promote the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Monterey, the season finale Sept. 4-6 at nearby WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Lundgaard took Friday off before playing again Saturday and Sunday.

“My week off was spent well,” Lundgaard said with a smile. “I enjoy it. My girlfriend is a collegiate golfer, so it kind of makes sense. Definitely a good coach to have on the side if one day racing falls through. I have a backup plan. I've never had a backup plan in my life, so maybe this is the one.”

Lundgaard, 24, may not need that backup plan anytime soon. The Dane is in his fifth full-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and second with Arrow McLaren.

Christian Lundgaard

He finished a career-best fifth in last year’s standings and enters the 51st running of the prestigious street race at 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday (FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls) third in points behind leader Kyle Kirkwood and four-time series champion Alex Palou.

Lundgaard (photo, above, second from left) uses golf as a mental training tool. The approach appears to be paying off.

Both sports offer 18 opportunities -- 18 races in INDYCAR SERIES competition and 18 holes in golf -- and no two are the same. Even when tracks or holes appear similar, each presents unique challenges and nuances.

“I think what I enjoy is you get out there and compete with yourself and push yourself,” Lundgaard said. “With the lack of testing that we have, you need to find ways of staying mentally prepared and mentally strong and even find ways to improve. Time in the gym can tail off to some degree. I enjoy going out on a Monday after a race weekend, walking 18 holes, doing some active recovery and just having fun with it.

“I always see it as if you make a bogey on the first hole, you shouldn't panic going into the next hole trying to make up for it. The mindset is to put yourself in a great position, and the putts will fall eventually. I see it the same way in racing. I don't need to go out and win every race. I need to put myself in a position to fight for the podium and at some point, those results will come.”

The 2026 INDYCAR SERIES season features an even split: six street races, six natural road courses and six ovals. After Long Beach, only three street races remain, while five oval events loom, including the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 24.

Street circuits like Long Beach present prime opportunities for Lundgaard to remain a championship contender, much like certain holes favor a golfer’s strengths. Not every hole suits a long driver. Some demand precision with irons or reward a strong short game.

No one is perfect across all 18 races or all 18 holes.

Ovals have proven more challenging for Lundgaard. Across 24 circle-track starts, his best finish is sixth, achieved last season at the Milwaukee Mile and Iowa Speedway.

Lundgaard’s lone career victory came on a street circuit in Toronto in 2023 while driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. He has excelled in that discipline with eight top-10 finishes, including four top-five results, in his last 10 street course starts, including a third-place finish in last year’s Long Beach race.

When a track or hole aligns with a competitor’s strengths, does that create added pressure to capitalize when future tracks or holes do not suit their style or package?

“If there's a drivable par-4, you're more likely to go for it because there is nothing on the line,” Lundgaard said. “If you're in a competitive tournament or outing, you might think differently. At a racetrack where you know you're competitive, you don't need to try anything special. You must execute.

“In golf, you need to put yourself in great positions to hit the ball where it needs to go. That's very similar to racing.

“Over a race weekend, you don’t need to turn things upside down. You need to execute with what you have. If that’s a 10th-place car, you finish 10th. If it’s a race-winning car, you need to win. It’s a great exercise, but it’s a lot easier to stand on the tee box and say you’re going for it than to make the smart play.”