Toni Karjalainen

Toni Karjalainen
Personal information
Born (1979-07-09) 9 July 1979 (age 45)
Lappeenranta, Finland
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Sporting nationality Finland
ResidenceEspoo, Finland
Career
Turned professional2003
Former tour(s)European Tour
Asian Tour
Challenge Tour
Nordic Golf League
Professional wins6
Number of wins by tour
Challenge Tour2
Other4
Achievements and awards
Finnish Tour
Order of Merit winner		2002

Toni Karjalainen (born 9 July 1979) is a Finnish professional golfer who formerly played on the European Tour and the Challenge Tour. He was his country's highest ranked male golfer and one of only a few Finnish golfers playing on the leading professional tours when he won twice on the Challenge Tour in 2005 and 2006.

Amateur career

As an amateur, Karjalainen represented his country at the European Youths' Team Championship,[1] the European Amateur Team Championship[2][3][4] and twice at the Eisenhower Trophy.[5] At the 2001 European Amateur Team Championship at Ljunghusen Golf Club in Sweden, team Finland finished a historical high forth (behind England, Ireland and Sweden) in the qualifying stroke-play competition and lost to champions to be Scotland in the quarter-finals.

In June 2002, still an amateur, Karjalainen won the Messilä Trophy in Finland on the Nordic Golf League.[6]

Professional career

Karjalainen earned his playing rights on the 2004 Nordic Golf League by finished second at the qualifying school at Eslöv Golf Club in Sweden at the end of 2003.[6]

Karjalainen won the 2005 Thomas Bjørn Open in Denmark in his first season on the Challenge Tour, the European Tour's official developmental tour, on his way to finish 20th on the Order of Merit, the last place to earn full membership, with limited privileges, on the European Tour for 2006. He followed that up in 2006 by winning again on the Challenge Tour, the Telenet Trophy at the Limburg Golf and Country Club in Belgium in a last round interrupted by thunderstorms.[7] He also made several appearances on the main European Tour in 2006, making five cuts. His best finish on the European Tour was tied 20th at the 2006 BA-CA Golf Open in Vienna, Austria.[8]

In July 2006 he reached a career best 282nd on the Official World Golf Ranking, and was at the time Finland's highest ranked player.[9]

Having lost his playing privileges in Europe at the end of the 2008 season, Karjalainen joined the Asian Tour in 2009 after coming through qualifying school.[10]

Professional wins (6)

Challenge Tour wins (2)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner(s)-up
1 12 Jun 2005 Thomas Bjørn Open +4 (66-73-74-75=288) 1 stroke Sweden Oskar Bergman
2 21 May 2006 Telenet Trophy −14 (66-73-67-68=274) 1 stroke Spain Ivó Giner, England Gary Lockerbie

Nordic Golf League wins (3)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner(s)-up
1 30 Jun 2002 Messilä Trophy −15 (63-67-71=201) 6 strokes Finland Erik Stenman
2 12 Jun 2009 FGT II −12 (66-68-70=204) 5 strokes Finland Joonas Granberg, Finland Thomas Sundström
3 31 Jul 2011 Gant Open −16 (65-66-69=200) Playoff Sweden Kristoffer Broberg

Finnish Tour wins (1)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner-up
1 28 Jul 2002 SM Reikäpeli 1 up Finland Mikael Piltz

Team appearances

Amateur

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "EGA Events, Results, European Team Championships, European Youths' Team Championship". European Golf Association. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b Jansson, Anders (2004). Golf - Den stora sporten [Golf - The great sport] (in Swedish). Swedish Golf Federation. pp. 188–190. ISBN 91-86818007. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b "EM herrar" [Men's European Championship]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 8. August 2001. pp. 112–114. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b "European Amateur Team Championship Results, 2001 - Ljunghusen GC, Sweden". European Golf Association. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  5. ^ a b "2000 World Amateur Golf Team Championships Record Book" (PDF). World Amateur Golf Council. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Golfdata, Toni Karjalainen, Alla tävlingsresultat" [Golfdata, Toni Karjalainen, All competition results]. Swedish Golf Federation. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Players, Toni Larjalainen, Wins and Results, Tournament Wins". European Tour. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Players, Toni Karjalainen, Overview, Meet Toni". European Tour. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Players, Toni Karjalainen". Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Karjalainen grabs weekend lead in Asian Tour opener". PGA Tour. 6 February 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  11. ^ "Ireland cruise past Germany". Irish Independent. 6 July 2001. Retrieved 20 April 2021.