Roope Kakko

Roope Kakko
Personal information
Born (1982-02-13) 13 February 1982 (age 42)
Espoo, Finland
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight82 kg (181 lb; 12.9 st)
Sporting nationality Finland
ResidenceEspoo, Finland
SpouseMinea Blomqvist
Children2
Career
Turned professional2004
Current tour(s)Finnish Tour
Former tour(s)European Tour
Challenge Tour
Professional wins8
Number of wins by tour
European Tour1
Challenge Tour3
Other5
Achievements and awards
Finnish Tour
Order of Merit winner		2024

Roope Kakko (born 13 February 1982) is a Finnish professional golfer.

Early life and career

Kakko was born in Espoo, Finland. He started playing golf at the age of five.

In 2004, Kakko became only the third amateur to win a tournament on the Challenge Tour, when he won his home event, the Volvo Finnish Open.[1] The win earned him a Challenge Tour card for the following season; having turned professional later in 2004, he joined the Challenge Tour full-time. He was a regular on the tour for the next five seasons, although he did not win again, with a best finish on the money list of 27th in 2008, when he was twice a runner-up. His strong 2008 season gained Kakko entry into a small number of European Tour events and he capitalised on those opportunities by making successive top-10 finishes at the 2009 BMW Italian Open and 3 Irish Open. Despite these successes, his limited playing opportunities meant Kakko returned to the Challenge Tour full-time in 2010, but at the end of that season he came through the Qualifying School to secure full membership of the European Tour for the first time. In October 2013, Kakko won at the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic on the Challenge Tour.[2]

In August 2015, Kakko claimed his first victory on the European Tour at the Madeira Islands Open - Portugal - BPI. It was a dual-ranking European and Challenge Tour event.[3]

In September 2024, Kakko won the final event of the 2024 Finnish Tour season, claiming the season-long Order of Merit title.[4]

Personal life

Kakko is married to former LPGA Tour golfer Minea Blomqvist; they have two children together.[5][6]

Professional wins (8)

European Tour wins (1)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner-up
1 2 Aug 2015 Madeira Islands Open - Portugal - BPI1 −24 (66-71-64-63=264) 3 strokes Scotland Scott Henry

1Dual-ranking event with the Challenge Tour

Challenge Tour wins (3)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner(s)-up
1 4 Jul 2004 Volvo Finnish Open
(as an amateur) 		−11 (68-67-67=202)* Playoff England Phillip Archer, Sweden Johan Axgren
2 27 Oct 2013 National Bank of Oman Golf Classic −14 (70-69-66-69=274) 2 strokes Denmark Lucas Bjerregaard
3 2 Aug 2015 Madeira Islands Open - Portugal - BPI1 −24 (66-71-64-63=264) 3 strokes Scotland Scott Henry

*Note: The 2004 Volvo Finnish Open was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
1Dual-ranking event with the European Tour

Challenge Tour playoff record (1–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2004 Volvo Finnish Open
(as an amateur) 		England Phillip Archer, Sweden Johan Axgren Won with birdie on first extra hole
2 2008 Margara Diehl-Ako Platinum Open Netherlands Taco Remkes Lost to birdie on first extra hole

Nordic Golf League wins (1)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner-up
1 20 Jun 2004 Sonera Open
(as an amateur) 		−10 (68-67-71=206) Playoff Finland Heikki Mäntylä

Finnish Tour wins (4)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner-up
1 15 Sep 2018 Vierumäki Tour Final −15 (73-66-62=201) 8 strokes Finland Jaakko Mäkitalo
2 7 Jun 2020 Finnish Tour I −17 (66-66-67=199) Playoff Finland Matias Honkala
3 16 May 2021 Finnish Tour Opening −1 (72-72-71=215) Playoff Finland Miki Kuronen
4 14 Sep 2024 Finnish Tour Final (2) −10 (68-67-71=206) Playoff Finland Niclas Hellberg

Team appearances

Amateur

Professional

See also

References

  1. ^ "Amatør vandt Volvo Finnish Open" [Amateur won the Volvo Finnish Open]. Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). 4 July 2001. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  2. ^ "Kakko seals European Tour card". Times of Oman. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2024 – via PressReader.
  3. ^ "Roppe Kakko fires a final round 63 to win the Madeira Islands Open". Sky Sports. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Finnish Tourin finaalin voitto herkisti Roope Kakon" [Winning the Finnish Tour final sensitized Roope Kakko] (in Finnish). Finnish Tour. 14 September 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  5. ^ Wirtavuori, Sanna (9 July 2015). "Golfammattilaiset Minea Blomqvist ja Roope Kakko – Tosi rakkautta urheilun ehdoilla" [Golf professionals Minea Blomqvist and Roope Kakko – True love on sports terms]. Anna (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  6. ^ Niittylahti, Anni (30 May 2024). "Anna-lehti: Minea Blomqvist lopetti golfuransa, kun puoliso Roope Kakko jatkoi huipulla – Vaikea päätös koetteli: "Elämältäni putosi tavallaan pohja"" [Anna magazine: Minea Blomqvist ended her golf career when her husband Roope Kakko continued at the top – A difficult decision tested: "In a way, my life fell to the bottom"]. Seura (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  7. ^ "European Amateur Team Championships, Results". European Golf Association. Retrieved 9 January 2023.