Tapio Pulkkanen tees it up in his home event this week as the European Challenge Tour returns to Finland for the Vierumӓki Finnish Challenge hoping to rediscover his best form.
The 26 year old won five times on the Nordic Golf League in 2015 to top their rankings and regain his place on Europe’s top developmental tour, but has been unable to emulate last year’s achievements yet on the Road to Oman.
Eight missed cuts out of 13 tell their own story, but the Finn is looking forward to playing in front of home support at Vierumӓki Resort this week.
“It’s very exciting,” he said. “It’s the first time playing this tournament here, and I’ve only played here two or three times, about seven years ago. It’s a good course, a good layout, and I’m hoping for a good week.
“It feels like playing at home, so that’s a good feeling. I had that a little bit in Sweden as well, but here it is like playing at your home club, even though I’m from an hour and a half away.
“There will be a lot of Finnish people watching, hopefully, and also a lot of people I know coming to support me, so that will make it even better for me.
“I’ve had a couple of good rounds here and there but I’m still waiting for that one good tournament, so hopefully it will be here. I haven’t put four rounds together yet, only ever two or three, so that’s the main aim.
“Perhaps that’s the difference between doing well on the Nordic League and doing well on the Challenge Tour, because you have to be steadier over all four rounds, and sharp every day. And the players here are better as well, so one or two good rounds is not enough.”
It is just over a year since Finland had its last winner on either the European Tour or the Challenge Tour, when Roope Kakko triumphed at the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal – BPI.
No surprise that I ran into @garyplayer in the gym this afternoon. #foreveryoung #legend #Olympics pic.twitter.com/nhA8bsLyk1
— Mikko Ilonen (@MikkoIlonen) August 7, 2016
Mikko Ilonen – like Kakko, a Challenge Tour alumnus and, like Kakko, representing Finland in the Olympic Games this week – has five European Tour titles to his name, but Pulkkanen believes it is time for his generation to take on the mantle of inspiring young Finnish talent.
“Golf in Finland is still growing,” he said. “On the professional side I think it’s the best it’s ever been, with three players on the European Tour and five or so on the Challenge Tour, and I think it’s growing.
“Now we need some big wins – Mikko has done a great job for a long time, now we need others to do the same. Maybe Mikko or Roope can put Finnish golf on the map even more in Rio this week, that would be a good week to do well.”
