Tapio Pulkkanen Facts: 11 Things To Know About Pro Golfer
Get all you need to know about Finnish pro golfer Tapio Pulkkanen with these facts about his life and career
Tapio Pulkkanen is a Finnish professional golfer who plays on the DP World Tour and Challenge Tour having come through the Nordic Golf League.
Get to know more about him with 11 facts about him.
Tapio Pulkkanen facts
1. Pulkkanen was born on 21 May 1990 in Kotka, southern Finland.
2. He started playing golf aged nine after being introduced to the game by his brother.
3. Pulkkanen made his first hole-in-one aged 12, and then at 14 decided to give up playing soccer to fully focus on his golf.
4. He played abroad for the first time as a junior at age 16, and went on to win the Finish Junior Championship.
5. He played for Finland in the Eisenhower Trophy and European Amateur Team Championships - where he finished seventh playing against the likes of Thomas Pieters, Andy Sullivan and Alexander Levy.
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6. Pulkkanen won three professional tournaments while still an amateur - including the 2012 Finnish Open - and had a best amateur world ranking of 46th.
7. After turning professional in 2013, Pulkkanen finished as runner-up in his Challenge Tour debut event at the Challenge de Madrid, but finished no higher than 34th over the next two seasons.
8. 2015 saw Pulkkanen's most prolific campaign as he claimed five titles when winning the Nordic Golf League to get back into the Challenge Tour.
9. He claimed his first Challenge Tour victory at the 2017 Kazakhstan Open thanks to a playoff victory over Chase Koepka - brother of five-time Major champions Brooks - before ending the season top of the Order of Merit to book a spot on the DP World Tour.
10. His best finish on the DP World Tour is T2 at the D+D Real Czech Masters in 2021.
11. He's know for wearing a Trilby hat, which is inspired by a former captain at his home Kymen Golf Club.
Tapio Pulkkanen Bio
Born | 21 May, 1990 | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
Height | 6ft 2in (1.88m) | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
Turned Pro | 2013 | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
Current tours | DP World Tour/Challenge Tour | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
Previous tours | Nordic Golf League | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
Pro wins | 9 | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
Best OWGR | 167 | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
Tapio Pulkkanen professional wins
Event | Tour | Score |
---|---|---|
2009 FGT IV | Nordic Golf League | -9 (4 strokes) |
2010 Finnish Tour 6 | Nordic Golf League | -10 (2 strokes) |
2012 Finnish Open | Nordic Golf League | -14 (4 strokes) |
2015 NorthSide Charity Challenge | Nordic Golf League | -7 (playoff) |
2015 ECCO German Masters | Nordic Golf League | -8 (3 strokes) |
2015 Finnish Open (2) | Nordic Golf League | -9 (4 strokes) |
2015 Made in Denmark Qualifier | Nordic Golf League | -5 (playoff) |
2015 Kristianstad Åhus Open | Nordic Golf League | -8 (3 strokes) |
2017 Kazakhstan Open | Challenge Tour | -17 (playoff) |
Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
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