There’s something special about coming home, especially when you’ve just rubbed shoulders with the world’s golfing elite at the Olympics.
Tapio Pulkkanen, Finland’s very own golfing maestro, is back on familiar turf, ready to tee it up at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge, and he’s bringing a big bag of confidence with him.
Now, if you’ve been living under a rock—or perhaps stuck in a bunker—you might’ve missed that Pulkkanen made his Olympic debut in Paris just a few weeks ago.
And while he didn’t exactly return with a shiny new medal for the mantle, he did pick up something arguably more valuable: experience and a renewed swagger.
“It was such a cool week in Paris,” Pulkkanen said, sounding as thrilled as a kid who’s just discovered his first hole-in-one.
“The crowds were amazing, and the Finnish supporters were out in force. It felt like home, just with better weather.”
Pulkkanen finished tied for 35th at Le Golf National, a respectable showing for his first Olympic go-round.
He’s quick to admit that standing alongside the game’s top dogs was a learning curve, and a steep one at that.
“I haven’t played a Major yet, so this was a real test against the best. Watching how they handle themselves on and off the course was invaluable.”
But enough about the City of Light; let’s talk about where Pulkkanen’s real love affair lies: the Vierumäki Resort.
He hasn’t played a professional tournament on Finnish soil since 2017, the year he clinched the Challenge Tour Number One spot.
“It feels amazing to be back in Finland, playing in front of the home crowd. The course has changed a bit—it’s softer, which means it’ll play a bit longer—but I’m up for it.”
Pulkkanen knows a thing or two about taking advantage of home-course love. The crowd’s roar can be as valuable as a birdie on the scorecard, and he’s counting on that Finnish fervour to propel him up the leaderboard, especially if he finds himself in one of the final groups come the weekend.
“We’ll have lots of home support, and that could be the edge I need,” he said with the confidence of a man who knows how to turn local cheers into leaderboard climbs.
It’s not just the homecoming that’s got him excited, though. After a rocky patch that saw him lose his DP World Tour card at the end of 2023, Pulkkanen is finding his groove again on the Challenge Tour.
“I’ve learned a lot about my game this season. It’s been great to be in contention again.
I’m currently 15th in the Rankings, and I’m aiming to climb higher this week to secure my place in the top 20. The goal? To get back to the DP World Tour where I belong.”
The Vierumäki Finnish Challenge is no walk in the park, though. Pulkkanen will be facing some serious competition, with the likes of Road to Mallorca Number One Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and Number Two John Parry also in the mix.
Both are gunning for a third victory of the season, which would see them automatically promoted to the DP World Tour. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
The action kicks off at 7:30 AM local time on Thursday, with Pulkkanen, Parry, and Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren teeing it up together at 1:30 PM.
If you’re looking for drama, thrills, and a masterclass in how to use home-course advantage, you won’t want to miss it.
