Roope Kakko returns to action in his home event, the GANT Open, playing for the first time since claiming his maiden European Tour victory at the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal – BPI.
The European Challenge Tour is back in Finland at a magnificent new venue, Turku’s Aura GC, and Kakko, who graduated in eighth place from the Challenge Tour Rankings in 2013, is proud to support the event and encourage Finnish golf.
The 33 year old, only the second Finn to win on The European Tour after Mikko Ilonen, believes there is plenty of golfing talent in Finland and hopes the success of himself and others can give the next generation added belief.
“It’s a great time for Finnish golf right now,” he said. “We only had one winner before this so it’s great that we now have a couple of guys playing on The European Tour, Mikko Ilonen and Mikko Korhonen, and they’re playing well.
“We’re all trying to join those guys and it’s always great if you have a few players because it creates an interest in Finnish golf. This event, coming after my win in Portugal, hopefully can encourage golf in Finland even more.
“There are a lot of really talented young professionals coming through from Finland in the Nordic League and other places. Ilonen has been a great example to us all of what it is possible to achieve and showing that we can join the world elite.
“It was incredible just to be in contention in Madeira and to be playing in the final group on Sunday, and a great feeling to win, even though I was exhausted by the end of it.
“I was nervous I must admit, I barely slept for the first three days, and to win, and everything that comes with it – schedule changes, a spot on The European Tour again, interviews – I felt I hadn’t really rested at all.
“I took last week off and practised a little bit over the weekend and it’s hard to say where my game is at the moment, but I should be ready.”
Kakko’s first win on the Challenge Tour came in his homeland when he won the Volvo Finnish Open in 2004, and although he knows Aura GC well, he insists winning is not his priority this week.
“As much as I would love to win this week, I’d be much happier to have one of the younger Finnish guys win,” he said.
“My first professional win came here in Finland and to win in your home country is special, so I’d like one of them to be able to experience that.
The difficulty of the course depends on the set up - the rough is up so though good scoring might be possible, it's not a certainly
“I’m trying to have fun this week and enjoy my golf and try to enjoy the atmosphere. I really love this place, it’s a beautiful city, so I’m going to give it my all for the spectators who come along.
“I played here at Aura GC a lot when I was younger. One of my good friends lives in Turku so I would always come here for a few days every summer and played this course a few times and I had some fun as well.
“The difficulty of the course depends a lot on the set-up. It is a bit shorter than some other courses we play but the rough is up so some good tee shots are going to be required this week, and good patience around the greens as well. Good scoring might be possible, but it’s not a certainty.”
A strong field lines up in Turku, headed by Welshman Rhys Davies, the highest-ranked Road to Oman player in the field in third place, and chasing his third victory of the season that would guarantee him a place on The European Tour.
Another player enjoying a lot of attention is young Frenchman Clément Sordet, fresh from his maiden victory in only his fourth tournament as a professional at last week’s Northern Ireland Open in Association with Sphere Global and Ulster Bank.
Also hoping for further success in Finland is Stuart Manley, the Welshman who claimed his first career victory in this event two years ago and who comes here on the back of his best finish of the season after tying for 16thplace in Northern Ireland.
