On Sunday at the RSM Classic, Sami Valimaki closed with a 4-under 66 to finish at 23 under par (259), earning a dramatic one-shot victory and becoming the first golfer from Finland ever to win on the PGA Tour.
The win secures Valimaki his maiden PGA Tour title, capping off a season that had shown glimpses of greatness, but until now, lacked the final result.
After two runner-up finishes in recent seasons, Valimaki finally broke through. At 27 years old, he proved resilient under pressure, especially down the stretch on the Seaside Course.
Steady, Smart, and Clutch
Valimaki entered Sunday with a two-shot cushion after a 5-under 65 in the third round. Down the final stretch, he stayed calm despite shifting wind and a hungry chasing pack. On the 16th hole, he stuck a clutch putt from below the green; on the 18th, an 18-foot par putt sealed the deal.
While Valimaki avoided a late collapse, others behind him surged. Max McGreevy, himself in search of a first PGA Tour title, fired a 63 early in the day to close at 22 under. McGreevy’s pressure on the final hole nearly forced a playoff.
Meanwhile Ricky Castillo blistered a final-round 62 to finish third at 21 under. Impressive, but just short of the wild finish unfolding ahead of him.
Valimaki’s steadiness under shifting conditions, and late-round nerves, was what separated him and delivered a breakthrough win.
“It has been a long road, of course,” Valimaki said. “I feel like it’s a really tough year even when I kind of played decent golf, and then to keep pushing and find some good grooves in the last few tournaments, it feels amazing.”
What This Means For Valimaki–and for Finland
Valimaki’s victory marks a milestone for Finnish golf. Never before has a Finnish player hoisted a PGA Tour trophy. With this win, he hopes to inspire a generation of players back home.
“I just wanted to show people that it’s possible to win [from Finland],” Valimaki said. “Of course, I want to have more golfers in Finland. If young kids or even older people want to play golf, that’s better for the sport, and that’s kind of my main goal.”
Beyond pride, the win brings a two-year PGA Tour exemption, and catapults him into a strong points position. He locked up No. 51 in the FedExCup standings, putting him in range for the first two high-stake “signature events” of 2026.
The Drama of the Final Day at Sea Island
The closing round at the RSM Classic was more than just a victory lap for Valimaki. It was a high-stakes gamble for many–for those chasing their first win, for players fighting for Tour cards, for hopefuls with signature-event dreams.
“I never felt that nervous,” Valimaki said. “I felt like I was playing to win. Luckily, my best golf came out at the end of the year.”
As contenders like McGreevy and Castillo charged hard with low rounds, the leaderboard shifted with every hole. Bogeys, birdies, and clutch putts, all threatening to change everything. In that pressure cooker, Valimaki kept his cool, aligning shot-making and mental game perfectly.
But beyond the top of the board, much was at stake. The RSM Classic also doubles as a final gauntlet for players on the bubble of retaining full status for 2026. The tension, between securing a card or falling short, added an extra layer of drama to the final round.
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