Second season win for Sami Välimäki
Starnberg Open 2019
Sami Välimäki from Finland is the winner of the Starnberg Open 2019. With a total 13 under par and scoring rounds of 68, 64 an 68 on the par 71 championship course of Golfclub Starnberg in Germany the 21 year old from Nokia put the trophy on his belt. After 54 holes he had a one shot advantage over German amateur Thomas Rosenmüller (68, 65, 68) who finished the tournament with a quadruple bogey on the last hole. Third place went to Ondřej Lieser (Czech Republic / -11). For Välimäki it is the second win this season and he moves up to 6th position of the Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit.
Starnberg/Gernany - He was happy, but he celebrated quietly, without much jubilation. Sami Välimäki himself was surprised that at the end of this Starnberg Open 2019 he not only received the 5000 euros top prize money for the triumph in the professional standings, but also got the winner's trophy. This was because actually Thomas Rosenmüller had the trophy firmly under his control, at least until the 18th hole of the Golf Club Starnberg. With a three-stroke lead the German amateur had teed off on 18, after he had made up four strokes on Välimäki until this moment in the final round.
But this closing hole of the GC Starnberg, a 453 meter long par 4, dogleg left with water in front of the green, is tricky. Rosenmüller had played par and birdie in the first two rounds there, but this time he hit his first drive to the right into the woods, not able to find the ball, and the second teeshot he sent left into the thick rough; ultimately he lost four strokes - and the tournament.
"I am very sorry for Thomas, but of course I am very happy as well about this second victory on the Pro Golf Tour," said Sami Välimäki, the Starnberg Open champion 2019. "I love this fantastic golf course! It is in an excellent condition, and it was great fun to play here." In particular, the Finn's putter worked magnificently on the excellent Starnberg greens, which no other than Florian Fritsch had attested "European Tour level". Starnberg's head greenkeeper Andy Matzner and his team had once again made a magnificient job and prepeared the Pro Golf Tour a golf course on absolute top level.
Ticket to the Challenge Tour 2020
With his second win of the season - in February, the Finn had already won the Open Casa Green in Morocco - Sami Välimäki climbs up to 6th place of the Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit and now has justified hope to reach one of the five promotion spots for the Challenge Tour 2020. Välimäki: "Unfortunately I could not play all tournaments this year because of my military service. But now, of course, I'll be there until the end of the season."
Two tournaments are still pending this year. The next stop is the EXTEC CzechOne Open by Atomic Drinks, which begins on 23rd August in Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic.