Hot chocolate and mint schnapps all round at snowy Linna Golf – Scandinavia’s home of midnight golf
(Vanajanlinna, Finland – February 18, 2007) 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 of 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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