A Scandinavian prevails in Scandinavian Masters

It’s always nice when a “local boy” wins his local home tournament.

That’s not quite what happened in Stokholm, Sweden this weekend, but it was close enough.

Finland’s Mikko Ilonen won the European PGA Tour’s 2007 Scandinavian Masters on Sunday, finishing 6-under for the tournament, two strokes ahead of France’s Christian Cevaer.

In many ways, Ilonen’s win came down to the wire.

He carded six birdies on the day, but they were slightly offset by two bogeys and a near-disasterous double-bogey on the par-3 16th.

Ilonen reached the 18th tee at 5-under-par, one shot back of German Martin Kaymer, who was playing a group behind him.

Ilonen stuck his four iron approach to five feet from the pin and made birdie on No. 18. Kaymer’s subsequent approach missed the green and he was unable to save par after blading his chip shot. Kaymer made double-bogey.

It was Ilonen’s second win on the European PGA Tour this year, after prevailing in the Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open in February.

Ilonen’s win catapulted him to 27th on the European Tour Order of Merit.

A large group were tied for second at 4-under, including Kaymer, Cevaer, England’s Nick Dougherty, France’s Jean-Baptiste Gonnet and local favorite Peter Hedblom of Sweden.