It only took 11 PGA Tour starts for rookie Sami Valimaki, a Callaway ambassador, to earn his maiden top 10 and top 5 on the US Circuit in the same week. Graduating from the DP World Tour’s top 10 from 2023, the Finland star finished runner up at the Mexico Open on Sunday.
Valimaki carded a two-under 69 at the Vidanta Vallarta course to finish at 17 under par and only two shots shy of the fellow rookie Jake Knapp, who captured his first PGA Tour win.
The 25-year-old from Pirkkala, Finland went out in 32 courtesy of a birdie and an eagle in his first seven holes on the final day. The eagle 3 on the short par-4 seventh put him into a share of the lead at 18 under. Valimaki, using his Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamon S driver (9 degrees), smashed a 297-yard bomb to six feet and made the eagle putt.
A one-over back nine was all that prevented Valimaki from becoming the first Finnish golfer to win on the PGA Tour. Valimaki’s maiden runner up on the PGA Tour was built on solid driving – he was in the top 25 for strokes gained: off the tee and hit 65 percent of his fairways with an average drive of 306 yards on measured holes. The biggest contributor to his second place, however, were irons and putting. He ranked seventh and ninth in the approach play and putting, respectively. He gained 5.050 shots on the fields with his approach shots, using the Callaway Apex MB.
Valimaki gained a whopping 5.176 shots on the field with his putting using the Odyssey Ai-One #1.
“I played solid,” Valimaki said. “I mean, I enjoyed the whole week. In the wind, it’s a tough grind. And then today the front nine was going my way, so I was hoping [for more] on the back nine and that wasn’t the case today.”
Sami Valimaki What’s In The Bag
Driver: Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond S (9 degrees)
3-wood: Paradym (16.5 degrees)
Irons: X Forged UT (19 degrees), Apex MB (4-9)
Wedges: Jaws Raw (46-10S, 50-10S, 56-10S, 60-10J)
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One #1
Ball: Chrome Tour X
On the DP WORLD TOUR, Nacho Elvira ensured runner ups on both major tours for Callaway with a tie for second at the Magical Kenya Open. Elvira, from Spain, carded a 66 on the final day to finish at 12 under par and just two shots behind Darius van Driel who won at 14 under. Fellow Callaway players Matthew Jordan and Spain’s Adrian Otaegui were a shot back of Elvira in a share of fourth.
Meanwhile on the LPGA Tour, which has commenced its Asia swing, Madelene Sagstrom was the leading Callaway staffer at the Honda LPGA Thailand. Sagstrom posted a two-under 70 on Sunday to finish at 15 under par and six shots back of winner and home hero Patty Tavatanakit.
