Finnish amateur Erik Myllymaki made a big impression at last year’s Vacon Open and the 21 year old is hoping to ride on the wave golf in his home country is experiencing thanks to the rise of Mikko Ilonen to worldwide prominence.
Myllymaki put in an impressively consistent performance this time last year to seal a top ten finish and while he could not collect any prize money due to his amateur status, it was an experience he will never forget.
With Finnish golf riding high in the wake of Ilonen’s top ten at the US PGA Championship last week, as well as the Ladies’ amateur team finishing runner-up in the recent European Team Championships, Myllymaki is eager to get started at Kytäjä Golf.
“I'm really looking forward to this week, especially after last year,” he said. “It was fun to play here last year with a lot of friends watching. My game wasn’t especially good at the time but it was just the feeling out on the course and I think that is the biggest reason I did so well.
“I have been playing badly in the weeks leading up to this tournament but hopefully the memories of last year will help me.
“I think we’re getting better as players in Finland, we’re all improving, although the results have not shown that as much this year. The ladies came second in the Ladies European Amateur so that was great, but the men have not had great results this season in the amateur game.
“Hopefully the scores will come later. I think maybe we need one big win and then the others will get that spirit too. Hopefully my performance last year can inspire some young guys who are playing this week.
“It’s important to have somebody to look up to and then others start to feel good about themselves.
“It was fun to see Mikko last week, it means a lot. It was great to watch on TV, to see a Finnish guy doing so well at such a big tournament. Of course, it gives us a lot of confidence that he can play alongside some of the best players in the world.
“Mikko has always been my hero since I was young. I went to his golf camps as a kid and it’s great to see his success now, winning big events like the Irish Open, making it to the top 50 in the world and getting stronger and stronger.”
Myllymaki will certainly be a little more relaxed than he has been in recent months, having been enrolled for compulsory military duty in Finland and he believes he has learned some things in the army which could help him as he plans to embark on a professional career in the near future.
“I'm in the Finnish military at the moment, which every Finn has to do for one year. As a sportsman though, we get good breaks to practise as normal.
“When we started we had a lot of military stuff but now it’s just exercise and stuff, but now I am ‘finishing war’ after one week.
“We have to wake up early every morning and everything has to be done exactly right, there are no nearlys or almosts. That might help me in my game.
“After I finish military duty I think I will maybe turn professional this year, and hopefully do Qualifying School at the end of the season. I have to talk with my coach about it but of course I have plans to turn professional at some point.”
