Välimäki wins European Tour rookie 2020 award

Finland’s Sami Välimäki has been named the European Tour’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year after an amazing 2020 mission which incorporated a maiden win at March’s Oman Open and finished in a best five completion at the season-finishing DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

The 22-year-old’s first season on the European Tour involved seven top-ten wraps up, remembering his triumph for Oman, a next in line finish in Wales and a best five in a week ago’s finale, which encouraged him finish eleventh in the Race to Dubai rankings.

Välimäki, who procured his European Tour card through Qualifying School a year ago, fixed triumph in his 6th European Tour start at the Oman Open, conquering South Africa’s Brandon Stone in a play-off at Almouj Golf.

After the European Tour’s four-month rest because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Välimäki revived that early season structure at the UK Swing’s double header at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales, where a main ten in the Celtic Classic was followed straightforwardly by a second place finish in the ISPS HANDA Wales Open.

In the wake of making his Major Championship debut in September’s US Open, he got another solid completion civility of a portion of 6th spot at the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open in November.

The previous European Amateur Team Championship victor with Finland entered the season-finishing DP World Tour Championship in eighteenth situation on the Race to Dubai, prior to creating perhaps the best execution of his vocation over the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Playing close by Lee Westwood in the last round, Välimäki delighted in a shocking beginning with four birdies in the initial five openings. He finished paperwork for a fourth progressive 69 for a portion of fifth spot, lifting him to eleventh in the cash list.

“I am totally charmed to get the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award,” said Välimäki, who hails from Nokia in the south of Finland. “It turned into an objective of mine, particularly going into a week ago in Dubai, so it is an unfathomable inclination to polish it off with a solid last presentation of 2020, and to be the primary player from Finland to get this honor is truly uncommon.

“I had a fantasy start to my season truly, by winning so right off the bat in Oman and afterward the season was required to be postponed only a couple weeks after the fact. I am truly glad for how I performed after the re-visitation of golf and a portion of the outcomes I had, particularly my presentation at the DP World Tour Championship. Winning a competition was an objective for me and to win this honor is stunning.”

Välimäki joins a noteworthy rundown of previous victors which incorporate Nick Faldo (1977), Martin Kaymer (2007), Brooks Koepka (2014) and Jon Rahm (2017), every one of whom have proceeded to become world no.1