Mikko Ilonen

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Mikko Ilonen
Mikko Ilonen.jpg
Personal information
Full nameMikko Ilonen
Born (1979-12-18) 18 December 1979 (age 45)
Lahti, Finland
Height1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight83 kg (183 lb; 13.1 st)
Sporting nationalityFlag of Finland.svg  Finland
Residence Lahti, Finland
Career
Turned professional2001
Former tour(s) European Tour
Professional wins5
Highest ranking 37 (19 October 2014) [1]
Number of wins by tour
European Tour5
Asian Tour1
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament CUT: 2001, 2015
PGA Championship T7: 2014
U.S. Open CUT: 2010, 2012
The Open Championship T9: 2001

Mikko Ilonen (born 18 December 1979) is a retired Finnish professional golfer who played on the European Tour, winning five times. He is considered to be the most successful golfer from Finland. [2]

Contents

Career

Ilonen was born in Lahti, Finland. He won the 2000 Amateur Championship, and turned pro in 2001. He played mainly on the European Tour, where he won five events.

He won his first professional tournament at the 2007 Indonesia Open, an event co-sanctioned by the European Tour and Asian Tour. He was the first Finn to win a European Tour event [3] and to feature in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

In June 2013, Ilonen won the Nordea Masters event in Sweden for the second time in his career and third tour level victory overall. [4]

In June 2014, Ilonen won the Irish Open at Fota Island in Cork. Ilonen led the tournament from start to finish and ended up one shot clear of Italian Edoardo Molinari. [5]

Ilonen's best major championship finish was tied 7th at the 2014 PGA Championship. In 2014 he finished the season in a career best 18th on the European Tour Order of Merit.

In March 2019, Ilonen announced his retirement from tour golf. [6]

Amateur wins

Professional wins (5)

European Tour wins (5)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
118 Feb 2007 Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open 1−9 (66-68-71-70=275)1 stroke Flag of India.svg Shiv Kapur, Flag of the Philippines.svg Frankie Miñoza,
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Andrew Tampion
219 Aug 2007 Scandinavian Masters −6 (67-72-67-68=274)2 strokes Flag of France.svg Christian Cévaër, Flag of England.svg Nick Dougherty,
Flag of France.svg Jean-Baptiste Gonnet, Flag of Sweden.svg Peter Hedblom,
Flag of Germany.svg Martin Kaymer
32 Jun 2013 Nordea Masters (2)−21 (70-63-65-69=267)3 strokes Flag of Sweden.svg Jonas Blixt
422 Jun 2014 Irish Open −13 (64-68-69-70=271)1 stroke Flag of Italy.svg Edoardo Molinari
519 Oct 2014 Volvo World Match Play Championship 3 and 1 Flag of Sweden.svg Henrik Stenson

1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour

European Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 2014 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters Flag of Spain.svg Sergio García Lost to birdie on third extra hole

Results in major championships

Tournament2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
Masters Tournament CUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship CUTT9T50T16
PGA Championship
Tournament201020112012201320142015
Masters Tournament CUT
U.S. Open CUTCUT
The Open Championship T79CUTCUT
PGA Championship CUTT7T54
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied

Results in World Golf Championships

Results not in chronological order before 2015.

Tournament201320142015
Championship T23
Match Play R64T34
Invitational T65T66T45
Champions T21T46
  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied

Team appearances

Amateur

Professional

References

  1. "Week 42 2014 Ending 19 Oct 2014" (pdf). OWGR . Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  2. "How many golfers from Finland have won on the European Tour?". European Tour. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  3. "Mikko makes history with victory in Jakarta". PGA European Tour. 18 February 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  4. "Mikko Ilonen ends six-year wait by winning Nordea Masters in Stockholm". The Guardian. 2 June 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  5. "Irish Open: Mikko Ilonen earns fourth European Tour success". BBC Sport. 22 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  6. McEwan, Michael (21 March 2019). "Multiple tour winner announces shock retirement". bunkered. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  7. "European Boys' Team Championship – European Golf Association" . Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  8. "EGA Events, Results, European Team Championships, European Youths' Team Championship". European Golf Association. Retrieved 10 January 2023.