Wikipedia
Finnish Challenge
The Finnish Challenge is a golf tournament on the Challenge Tour, Europe's second tier men's professional golf tour. It was first played at Golf Talma in Talma, Finland, from 2001 to 2003, but took a hiatus from 2004 to 2011. The 2012–14 editions of the tournament were played at the Kytäjä Golf Club in Kytäjä, Hyvinkää, Finland. The 2015 tournament was played at Aura Golf Club in Turku. Since 2016 tournament it has been played at the Vierumäki Resort in Vierumäki.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Vierumäki, Finland |
| Established | 2001 |
| Course(s) | Vierumäki Resort |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,000 yards (6,400 m) |
| Tour(s) | Challenge Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | €250,000 |
| Month played | August |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 257 Lauri Ruuska (2023) |
| To par | −27 as above |
| Current champion | |
| Lauri Ruuska | |
| Location Map | |
Vierumäki Resort Location in Finland | |
In 2023, Lauri Ruuska recorded a round of 59, becoming the fourth sub-60 round on the Challenge Tour.[1]
Winners Edit
| Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vierumäki Finnish Challenge | |||||||
| 2023 | Lauri Ruuska | 257 | −27 | 7 strokes | Jack McDonald Joakim Wikström | Vierumäki | |
| 2022 | Velten Meyer | 262 | −26 | 5 strokes | Marc Hammer | Vierumäki | |
| 2021 | Marcus Helligkilde | 265 | −23 | 2 strokes | Jesper Svensson | Vierumäki | |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||||
| 2019 | José-Filipe Lima | 274 | −14 | 1 stroke | Bryce Easton | Vierumäki | |
| 2018 | Kim Koivu | 267 | −21 | Playoff | Robert MacIntyre | Vierumäki | |
| 2017 | Paul Howard | 199[a] | −17 | 2 strokes | Simon Forsström | Vierumäki | |
| 2016 | Sam Walker | 273 | −15 | 2 strokes | Julien Guerrier Scott Henry Romain Langasque Darius van Driel | Vierumäki | |
| Gant Open | |||||||
| 2015 | Dominic Foos | 270 | −14 | 3 strokes | José Manuel Lara Jamie McLeary Marcel Schneider Brandon Stone | Aura | |
| Vacon Open | |||||||
| 2014 | Mark Tullo | 264 | −20 | 3 strokes | Pelle Edberg | Kytäjä | |
| Finnish Challenge | |||||||
| 2013 | Stuart Manley | 267 | −21 | 2 strokes | José-Filipe Lima | Kytäjä | |
| 2012 | Kristoffer Broberg | 269 | −15 | 6 strokes | Wil Besseling | Kytäjä | |
| 2004–2011: No tournament | |||||||
| Talma Finnish Challenge | |||||||
| 2003 | Marcus Fraser | 275 | −13 | Playoff | Tony Edlund | Talma | |
| 2002 | Lee S. James | 269 | −19 | 2 strokes | Matthew Blackey | Talma | |
| 2001 | Klas Eriksson | 272 | −16 | 4 strokes | Gary Clark | Talma | |
Notes Edit
- ^ Shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
References Edit
- ^ Miettinen, Jussi (August 17, 2023). "Lauri Ruuska teki historiaa – alitti ensimmäisenä suomalaisena 60 lyönnin rajan" [Lauri Ruuska made history – first Finn to go under 60 strokes]. gogolf.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved August 17, 2023.
External links Edit
- Official website (in Finnish)
- Coverage on the Challenge Tour's official site