Tournament: Danish Golf Challenge
Venue: Odense Eventyr Golf, Odense, Denmark
Hashtag: #DanishGolfChallenge
Final round report
Tapio Pulkkanen claimed his second HotelPlanner Tour title on Sunday, winning the Danish Golf Challenge in a dramatic play-off at Odense Eventyr Golf. The 36-year-old birdied the par-five 18th in regulation play to force extra holes against Frenchman Maxence Giboudot, who closed with a par having held a one-stroke lead on the tee.
The pair then had 30-foot putts for eagle on the first play-off hole, with Pulkkanen pouring his in first, to which Giboudot could not respond.
“It’s a great feeling,” Pulkkanen said. “It was a rollercoaster day. I started okay with a birdie on four but then I made the triple and I was shocked.
“I played the next holes really badly. But it was a nice finish with the eagle on 15, birdie on 18 and eagle in the play-off so I’m happy right now.”
An early birdie on the par-five fourth had given Pulkkanen a four-stroke lead, before a triple bogey on seven and another bogey on nine meant the Finn made the turn at 16 under par and two back of the lead.
Playing partner Giboudot made two birdies to end his front nine, including an inch perfect chip in on the ninth, to lead at 18 under par.
But Pulkkanen fought back, making an eagle three on the 15th, before his birdie at the last and eagle in the play-off secured his first title since 2017.
The winner said he never felt out of it on the day, even when he found himself behind.
“No one really got away from me,” Pulkkanen added. “I think the lead was three shots at one point so I kind of felt like I could still do it, and I just trusted myself and it worked out.
“I had to check a couple of times what was happening elsewhere, so I knew it was still do-able.
“It’s almost a ten-year anniversary from my last win on the HotelPlanner Tour so it was good that I won now. I’m trying to chase for another one.”
Pulkkanen says this win will change his focus more on to the HotelPlanner Tour, despite his eligibility to play some DP World Tour events, in the hopes of boosting his Road to Mallorca Ranking.
“I’m still getting in a couple of DP World Tour events, but I think I’m going to focus more on the HotelPlanner Tour for this year,” he said.
Spain’s Juan Salama and Swedish duo Algot Kleen and Adam Wallin finished at 16 under par in a tie for third, while Ireland’s Liam Nolan and Denmark’s Martin Simonsen finished a shot further back. Spain’s Javier Barcos Garbayo, England’s Tom Lewis, France’s Clement Sordet and Australia’s Haydn Barron rounded out the top ten.
The win moves Pulkkanen up 21 spots to fourth in the Road to Mallorca, with Giboudot also moving to fifth.
The HotelPlanner Tour now heads to Spain for the Challenge de Espana at Isla Canela Links in Huelva, from May 28-31.
Scores after round four:
270 T PULKKANEN (FIN) 71 63 63 73, M GIBOUDOT (FRA) 70 67 63 70,
272 A WALLIN (SWE) 66 68 70 68, J SALAMA (ESP) 65 70 66 71, A KLEEN (SWE) 67 66 67 72,
273 L NOLAN (IRL) 66 70 68 69, M SIMONSEN (DEN) 67 66 70 70,
274 T LEWIS (ENG) 71 68 70 65, J BARCOS GARBAYO (ESP) 68 66 71 69, H BARRON (AUS) 72 65 68 69, C SORDET (FRA) 69 67 65 73,
275 M WARREN (SCO) 70 70 65 70, J G?TH-RASMUSSEN (DEN) 67 68 69 71, J ANDERSEN (DEN) 67 69 68 71, L VAN DER VIGHT (NED) 68 65 70 72,
276 P FIGUEIREDO (POR) 69 69 70 68, B AMAT (FRA) 71 66 70 69, A ALBERS (GER) 68 71 70 67, R VAN VELZEN (RSA) 70 67 68 71,
277 W NIENABER (RSA) 68 71 69 69, C JACOBSEN (DEN) 69 69 70 69, C WOOD (ENG) 69 68 70 70, J SCHNEIDER (GER) 71 68 70 68, M CRISTONI (ITA) 73 68 66 70, P ERENO (ESP) 71 67 68 71, T ED?N (SWE) 68 70 68 71, M DECOTTIGNIES-LAFON (FRA) 70 70 64 73,
278 K JOHANNESSEN (NOR) 69 67 71 71, A KARLSSON (SWE) 73 68 68 69, N CARLSON (USA) 71 69 69 69, B ?KESSON (SWE) 72 65 70 71, C GUICHARD (FRA) 69 67 69 73, A GOFF (USA) 74 65 65 74,
279 J GALBRAITH (NIR) 72 67 68 72, B SKOGEN (NOR) 70 69 70 70, J BEKIRIAN (ARM) 69 71 66 73, A KNAPPE (GER) 67 70 68 74, J MURPHY (IRL) 66 71 67 75, D HORSEY (ENG) 69 71 73 66,
280 J TORRES (ESP) 68 69 70 73, J DE BRUYN (GER) 69 67 70 74, C HANNA (USA) 72 67 71 70, B VIRTO (ESP) 70 71 70 69, W BESSELING (NED) 71 68 72 69, S TALWAR (IND) 67 70 75 68, S HUTSBY (ENG) 72 66 75 67,
281 J MOSCATEL (ESP) 69 71 68 73, M HIRMER (GER) 72 69 69 71, B GILL (ENG) 67 70 69 75, D NYFJALL (SWE) 69 70 71 71, M POWER (IRL) 72 66 73 70, G GRAHAM (SCO) 72 66 73 70, A ZEMMER (ITA) 71 69 72 69, P JACKSON (USA) 72 69 72 68,
282 J CALLES ROMAN (ESP) 67 72 71 72,
283 A TIDEN (SWE) 72 64 72 75, D MCELROY (NIR) 75 65 70 73, S JONES (NZL) 70 70 65 78, B RUSCH (SUI) 68 72 73 70,
284 H MAGNUS (ISL) 70 71 71 72, B BROWN (ENG) 72 68 72 72, C HUNTZINGER (USA) 69 71 72 72, C SHAUN (USA) 67 71 74 72,
287 M KENNEDY (IRL) 73 68 70 76, R FOLEY (SUI) 68 72 74 73,
288 H BROWN (DEN) 70 71 68 79, G BLOOR (ENG) 73 68 73 74, F EISENBEIS (GER) 74 67 74 73, W PORTER (SCO) 74 67 74 73,
292 L NAAS (SUI) 72 67 75 78,
296 A HOST (DEN) 72 69 75 80,
**
142 J JI (NED) 71 71, J RUTHERFORD (ENG) 74 68, D LUNDGREN (SWE) 71 71, M MARTIN (ENG) 72 70, T BESSA (POR) 73 69, C FARR (ENG) 70 72, D GALE (AUS) 71 71, A LAUSSOT (FRA) 75 67, C HELLAT (AM) (EST) 69 73,
143 M SOUTHGATE (ENG) 73 70, J AXELSEN (DEN) 73 70, C BARROW (ENG) 76 67, J FLOYDD (ENG) 75 68, P LENCART SILVA (POR) 72 71, J PAGDIN (ENG) 75 68, C BLOMSTRAND (SWE) 75 68, J VECCHI FOSSA (ITA) 71 72, J AGERSCHOU (DEN) 72 71, D ERICKSON (USA) 70 73,
144 L JOHNSTON (SCO) 72 72, O HUNDEB?LL (DEN) 72 72, C FYFE (SCO) 73 71, G HURLEY (IRL) 75 69, R MULLARNEY (IRL) 73 71, R FRANSSEN (SCO) 72 72, C SEEBER (USA) 73 71, V CHOPRA (USA) 71 73, K BRESSUM (DEN) 73 71, C THORNTON (ENG) 69 75, J CAMPOS GARCIA (AM) (ESP) 75 69, L VACARISAS (ESP) 74 70,
145 Q CROKER (AUS) 73 72, H HOPEWELL (AUS) 69 76, W VOLD (ENG) 68 77, O JACOBSSON (SWE) 72 73, J HACK (USA) 73 72, P L?NGFORS (SWE) 72 73, S BROHOLT LIND (DEN) 80 65, M ERIKSSON (SWE) 75 70, T CHRISTENSEN (GER) 75 70, M HELLER (AM) (DEN) 74 71, L RUUSKA (FIN) 75 70, J ZUSKA (CZE) 70 75, D PAPADATOS (AUS) 74 71, T GOUVEIA (POR) 71 74, N BACHEM (GER) 72 73, B EASTON (RSA) 73 72, A ETCHENIQUE (FRA) 74 71, P KATICH (GER) 71 74, O GILLBERG (SWE) 75 70,
146 A BONETA (ESP) 72 74, S BROWN (ENG) 74 72, J GOUGH (ENG) 74 72, V BJORLOW (DEN) 78 68, C BLEIER (AUT) 74 72, S FRIEDRICHSEN (DEN) 72 74, L PERKINS (USA) 71 75, P PINEAU (FRA) 77 69,
147 C BRAEUNIG (GER) 71 76, A PRASAD (IND) 73 74, C BRING (DEN) 73 74, M VILJOEN (RSA) 77 70, J QUESNE (FRA) 75 72, H LONG (GER) 72 75, M GILCHREST (USA) 69 78,
148 B BAWDEN (ENG) 74 74, V SIDAL SVENDSEN (DEN) 76 72, R PETERSSON (SWE) 74 74, F BRADHERING (GER) 72 76,
149 A EJLERSEN (DEN) 74 75, C PURCELL (IRL) 74 75, A PLANT (ENG) 75 74, M BARGENDA (POL) 78 71, W DE VRIES (NED) 75 74, W HOPKINS (ENG) 75 74, J ALLAN (ENG) 77 72,
150 R KIVI (AM) (EST) 73 77, S GROS (FRA) 73 77,
151 C RAHM (SWE) 76 75,
153 J SUGRUE (IRL) 73 80, J FREIBURGHAUS (SUI) 73 80,
156 R HOLMBERG (SWE) 82 74, L LANG (GER) 81 75,
157 G ROBERTSON (SCO) 79 78,
**
OUT A SETTEMSDAL (NOR) 75 WD,
