Korhonen withdrew from the men’s European tour at the beginning of May. He plans to return for next season. Recently, several Finnish athletes have told about their exhaustion related to sports.
STT Sports,
Juuso Koskinen
Professional golfer Mikko Korhonen says that he is exhausted from his life on the professional tour and plans to take a break from competition until the end of the season. Korhonen says in his press release that he is applying to the men’s European tour for the opportunity to transfer his playing rights to the next season on medical grounds.
– Came up against a wall. Total exhaustion, Korhonen said.
This season is Korhonen’s 19th as a professional, having started his pro career in 2005. He has played 246 races on the men’s European Main Tour, winning two of them. Only those who have already finished their careers have taken more wins than Finnish men Mikko Ilonen.
– I am now in my 19th season as a professional and 12th on the main tour. There hasn’t been a single longer break. In the first corona year, there was a break of a few months, but that’s the only one, Korhonen calculated.
– For a few seasons now, I have noticed that there is not enough fire, power or the necessary endurance. A few years have passed with steam and at the limits of endurance. I simply haven’t been able to do things differently, Korhonen explained.
In addition to Korhonen, recently, among others, the seventh-grader has told about the exhaustion related to sports Mary Huntingtona triple jumper Senni Salminenswimmers Ida Hulkko and Jenna LaukkanenE-athlete Miikka Kemppi and a baseball player Lauri Rönkkö.
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His last race this season was the race in Italy at the beginning of May. There, Korhonen confirmed the long-simmering idea that he must make a change in his life. Korhonen withdrew in Italy in the middle of the race, and at the time the reason was said to be an upper body injury.
– In the Italian competition, I was no longer able to continue playing. In a certain way, I had an inkling that I had to make a change or something like this might happen, and then suddenly there were no more options, Korhonen said.
Even at home, thoughts were on golf
Korhonen has digested the new situation gradually. He wanted to publicize his exhaustion only when he has clear guidelines for the future and the continuation of his career. Korhonen considers it very important that athletes’ exhaustion is talked about.
– I have always put sports first, and this job is a 24/7 job. When success came, the pressure also increased. Thoughts were always on training and sports, even if you were at home. For me, it went to the fact that I flashed the clock at home that now I have to go train. I was stressed about it, and in the end I couldn’t do anything at home when I was so exhausted, Korhonen said according to the news release.
The experienced athlete is also the father of a new family. The work on the professional fields required a lot of travel, and being exhausted, he could not be present with his family.
– Now that I’ve pushed sports to the back burner, I’ve been able to be present in a different way and create a stronger relationship with the children as well. I have only been able to focus on family life, Korhonen said.
According to him, the fire towards golf and competition is slowly starting to ignite. If he gets his playing rights transferred to next season, then it’s time to come back.
– This has been a completely new and difficult situation for me, for which there have been no steps or instructions. However, the balance is being found, and now I am focusing on recovery. It feels good and important to tell about it, Korhonen said.