VANAJANLINNA, Finland -- Linna Golf’s Mikko Ilonen won the Indonesia Open on Sunday, becoming the first professional from Finland to win a European Tour event.
Ilonen, 27, drove the ball magnificently in hot and humid conditions to finish one shot clear at nine-under-par, sparking celebrations at his home course in Finland, an hour’s drive north of the capital Helsinki, currently under a thick blanket of snow.
“I think it is a big thing for Finnish golf,” said Ilonen, the 2000 British Amateur Champion, who finished tied seventh the previous week at the Malaysian Open. “We’ve had two wins on the Ladies European, some on the Challenge Tour but none on The European Tour. It is a very special thing for me to be the first one.
“I came into this week expecting to win, my form was so good. Everything went well and now that I have won, I feel like I can win again.”
While securing numerous top ten finishes since turning professional in 2001, Illonen’s previous best result was third at the Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open in 2003, while finishing 16th in last year’s British Open at Royal Liverpool.
Ilonen’s victory is sure to boost golf in Finland where there are now 115 courses and more than 110,000 golfers [KPMG Golf Benchmark Survey].
The victory triggered celebrations at Linna Golf in Finland, a member of the PGA European Tour Courses group and acclaimed as one of the best new courses in Europe.
“It’ll be hot chocolate and mint schnapps for everyone tonight!” said Linna Golf President Mika Walkamo. “This is a big day for Finnish golf – and there will be a huge party when he returns.
“Mikko worked so hard on the practice range at Linna Golf last year and we are thrilled that he has achieved what no Finnish professional has done before. We are extremely proud of him.”
While Linna Golf is currently shivering under freezing temperatures and snow, the course –designed by European Golf Design, a PGA European Tour/IMG company – and historic castle hotel, benefits from 24-hour daylight in midsummer attracting international visitors wanting to experience midnight golf. For more information about Linna Golf, visit www.linnagolf.fi
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
Linna Golf
Linna Golf, specially designed to host top class professional events, has been hailed by golf legend and five-times British Open Champion Peter Thomson as a “national treasure”. The naturally beautiful and undulating 6,624m (7,244 yard) course cuts through birch and pine forest and offers both an enjoyable experience for the average golfer and a challenge for better players and pros thanks to a variety of tee positions on each hole.
Vanajan Linna Hotel, built in the early 1920s as a private hunting lodge for a wealthy industrialist to entertain VIPs, including the Finnish President, is the only one of its kind in the country and is famous for its impressive interior and décor. As well as accommodation in the main hotel, there are also rooms in the new clubhouse complex, due to open May 2007, plus individual cottages.
Midnight golf
The peak time for midnight golf is mid to late June, weather permitting. From mid to late July it is possible to play until approximately 11pm.
The summer golf package (available June 26-July 30) costs €130 (£90/$170) per person per night, based on two people sharing a room, and includes breakfast and 18-hole green fee.
For more information, call +358 3 610 2600 or e-mail myynti@linnagolf.fi quoting reference SGP07 – or visit www.vanajanlinna.fi
Airports
Linna Golf, near Hämeenlinna, is within easy reach of Helsinki Airport (100km), serviced by a variety of airlines including SAS, Blue 1, Finnair and British Airways; and Tampere Airport (80km), with Ryanair flights from London Stansted.
