Imagine it’s your first time in America as you’re preparing to tee it off at the majestic Winged Foot Golf course. You are arguably the least popular person on the roster. But suddenly you are surrounded by cameras, flashing left, right, and center. You look around, and it’s none other than Tiger Woods, a figure who has only been mythical to you till now. That’s how a 22-year-old Sami Välimäki came face-to-face with the GOAT. So what did he do?

5 years later, in his post-match presser at the RSM Classic, where he scored 23-under par to lift the trophy, Välimäki recalls the moment. “That was kind of a funny thing for me,” he says. “I was at the range and suddenly there was all the cameras were coming in. I was like OK, there might be someone else coming, they’re not coming to take the pictures for me, and then I saw Tiger was hitting half an hour next to me, the ball.” For a rookie playing his first major, this was a breakthrough moment. But all Välimäki could do was just…smile.

“It was cool,” he says.

But that was not the highlight of his week. Välimäki had entered the US Open after a major run at the European Tour’s UK Swing events in Celtic Manor. It was the pandemic, the USGA had let go of its traditional 36-hole qualifying event, and his T6 and runner-up finishes across the Atlantic were hard to ignore. But Välimäki faltered.

The Winged Foot course is considered one of the most difficult courses on the PGA Tour, and the Finn could not steady himself. He opened with rounds of 76 and 78 and eventually finished 14-over par. Sadly, he missed the cut, ending his event as soon as it had started. But if it could bring him any relief, he was not the only one to face the course’s brutal challenge.

Tiger Woods did not fare much better either. Having won his last major the previous year, Woods was one of the biggest players on the course. And for the Big Cat, this was sort of a redemption arc. This was the very same course where he had missed the cut at the 2006 US Open, six weeks after the death of his father, Earl. But as it has always been with Woods, age and injuries came his way.

Woods shot 73-77 to finish 10 over par. He was there on the course after a back surgery and had only seven official starts the previous season. So, Woods’s CV at the moment did not look impressive either. He could not fight the Winged Foot, couldn’t drive his balls well, his iron play was all over the place, and could not even make the putts, something that’s a right-hand job for him. Giving Valimaki company, Woods, too, missed the cut.

That was the case for the entire roster on the field. Winged Foot successfully “bit back” each one of them, allowing only three under-par rounds. Along with Valimaki and Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tommy Fleetwood, Gary Woodland, Collin Morikawa, and Sergio Garcia also ended their week before the weekend.

But for the Finn, the 2020 US Open was life-changing. Years later, as he has finally won his first PGA Tour trophy, he does not remember the scores. All he remembers playing alongside The Tiger Woods, who, funnily enough, was as miserable as him. This shows the unpredictability of the game. For Sami Valimaki, this was a start to his new career, somewhere he truly belonged.

Top Stories

Tour Pro Hit With Brutal 5-Month Punishment Only 11 Days After Celebrating Career Feat

Jack Nicklaus’ Former Company Announces Bankruptcy After $50M Lawsuit Defeat

Nelly Korda Makes Personal Request to LeBron James After He Showed Support for LPGA Pro

Support Pours in as PGA Tour Pro Bursts Into Tears Over Strict New Policy

Another U.S. University Cuts Golf Program Over Budget Concerns

Sami Valimaki reflects on the moment he finally felt belonged

Upon hearing the first-time encounter of Sami Valimaki and Tiger Woods, the press posed the question that made the Finn think. “At what point did you have a sense of belonging out here?” Basically, when did Valimaki realize that he actually could be good? He answers:

“I feel like last year Torrey Pines, and then there was some other decent finish before Mexico. I felt like then I knew my game belongs over here and that kind of I feel like gave me the boost for the last year’s Mexico tournament.”

At the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, the Finn had a 43rd-place finish at 3-under par. While it is not that headline-grabbing, it did make a shift in his career. He felt he could be steady among the golf elites. That performance was followed by the 41st finish at the WM Phoenix Open. All of this led to the cumulative psychological “breakthrough” for Valimaki.

But what actually materialized was the 2024 Mexico Open. That was a career-defining moment for the Finn. He shot a 64-67-67-69 to finish 17-under par and ended up as the runner-up of the game, finishing two shots behind Jake Knapp, the ultimate winner. He saw himself rise to No. 35 on the FedExCup standings.

Today, his first win on the Tour gives him a full-circle moment. Sami Valimaki is a name to remember.