The Finnish Challenge is a golf tournament on the Challenge Tour. It was first played at Golf Talma in Talma, Finland, from 2001 to 2003, but took a hiatus from 2004 to 2011. The 2012–14 editions of the tournament were played at the Kytäjä Golf Club in Kytäjä, Hyvinkää, Finland. The 2015 tournament was played at Aura Golf Club in Turku. From 2016 to 2023, the tournament was played at the Vierumäki Resort in Vierumäki.

Vierumäki Finnish Challenge
Tournament information
LocationVierumäki, Finland
Established2001
Course(s)Vierumäki Resort
Par72
Length7,074 yards (6,468 m)
Tour(s)Challenge Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fund270,000
Month playedAugust
Tournament record score
Aggregate257 Lauri Ruuska (2023)
To par−27 as above
Current champion
Sweden Christofer Blomstrand
Location map
Vierumäki Resort is located in Finland
Vierumäki Resort
Vierumäki Resort
Location in Finland

In 2023, Lauri Ruuska recorded a round of 59, becoming the fourth sub-60 round on the Challenge Tour.[1]

Winners

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Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Venue
Vierumäki Finnish Challenge
2024   Christofer Blomstrand 268 −20 1 stroke   Alexander Lévy
  Mikael Lindberg
Vierumäki
2023   Lauri Ruuska 257 −27 7 strokes   Jack McDonald
  Joakim Wikström
Vierumäki
2022   Velten Meyer 262 −26 5 strokes   Marc Hammer Vierumäki
2021   Marcus Helligkilde 265 −23 2 strokes   Jesper Svensson Vierumäki
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019   José-Filipe Lima 274 −14 1 stroke   Bryce Easton Vierumäki
2018   Kim Koivu 267 −21 Playoff   Robert MacIntyre Vierumäki
2017   Paul Howard 199[a] −17 2 strokes   Simon Forsström Vierumäki
2016   Sam Walker 273 −15 2 strokes   Julien Guerrier
  Scott Henry
  Romain Langasque
  Darius van Driel
Vierumäki
Gant Open
2015   Dominic Foos 270 −14 3 strokes   José Manuel Lara
  Jamie McLeary
  Marcel Schneider
  Brandon Stone
Aura
Vacon Open
2014   Mark Tullo 264 −20 3 strokes   Pelle Edberg Kytäjä
Finnish Challenge
2013   Stuart Manley 267 −21 2 strokes   José-Filipe Lima Kytäjä
2012   Kristoffer Broberg 269 −15 6 strokes   Wil Besseling Kytäjä
2004–2011: No tournament
Talma Finnish Challenge
2003   Marcus Fraser 275 −13 Playoff   Tony Edlund Talma
2002   Lee S. James 269 −19 2 strokes   Matthew Blackey Talma
2001   Klas Eriksson 272 −16 4 strokes   Gary Clark Talma

Notes

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  1. ^ Shortened to 54 holes due to rain.

References

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  1. ^ Miettinen, Jussi (August 17, 2023). "Lauri Ruuska teki historiaa – alitti ensimmäisenä suomalaisena 60 lyönnin rajan" [Lauri Ruuska made history – first Finn to go under 60 strokes]. gogolf.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved August 17, 2023.
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