OULU. In summer, Oulu’s Virpiniemi golf course shines far and beautifully.
During Christmas, however, the golf course is no longer closed in the afternoon due to darkness. The field is still covered in snow.
Still, from these landscapes, you can set off on the world’s toughest professional golf tour.
Started playing golf in Virpiniemi Kiira Riihijärvi decided to put everything in the bag already as a teenager. He packed his things and left for the United States to finish high school in pursuit of his golf dream.
The main reason was better playing conditions.
– It was of great importance that I left. I wanted to test what my chips are good for in golf. Success requires that you train outside all year round. It has been important for my own career that I got into the right circumstances, Riihijärvi tells Urheilu.
Riihijärvi, 25, recommends studying abroad with sports.
– It gives a lot. Even if the sport doesn’t work out, you’ll see the world and learn a lot about yourself. It was also important that I received an education.
Start Christmas Eve with rice porridge
Riihijärvi continued from high school to university in the United States and still lives in Florida.
That’s why returning to Finland and seeing family at Christmas is important.
There is also a small dog in the family, who constantly hangs around the golfer.
– I always look forward to getting home for Christmas. That’s when homesickness hits the hardest. In November, I start to feel like I could go home to Finland. Here I can reset the year.
Riihijärvi spends summer and Christmas in Finland. Riihijärvi, which returns to Florida in January, has one Christmas tradition above all others.
– Yes, it’s probably the rice porridge in the morning. Otherwise, Christmas food is not so favorite.
Against the best in the world
Riihijärvi will get to play against the best players in the world next year.
The LPGA is the world’s most prestigious and demanding women’s golf tour, with a record-breaking prize pool of around $100 million to be distributed next season.
Apart from Riihijärvi, only Finns have made it to the LPGA Minea Blomqvist-Second, Matilda Castren and Sanna Nuutinen.
Castren has celebrated a race victory once on the tour and received 225,000 dollars (186,000 euros) for the victory.
Riihijärvi starts its season with these prospects from Arizona at the end of March.
The golfer from Oulu seems relaxed during Christmas when talking about the upcoming season. Next season, he will face his great idol on the playing fields Nelly Kordan.
– It still feels a bit unrealistic that I have actually made it to the LPGA. Of course it’s exciting. I’m still looking forward to the next stage, what is it like there and is it very different.
Emotions on paper
Riihijärvi’s place on the tour was confirmed in October, when he finished fourth in the final tournament of the Epson Tour, the second US tour, in Florida.
In the overall competition of the tour, the ranking was also fourth, when the top ten received the right to play on the LPGA.
Riihijärvi’s performance made headlines in Finland. Even at the beginning of the season Riihijärvi was quite unknown, now it is already known to many.
Especially the approach shots were iron in Riihijärvi. The putting game, on the other hand, has received the most attention in training for the upcoming season.
Golf is a sensitive sport. How do you keep your head together?
Riihijärvi describes himself as a calm type of person. He says that he got a tip from his coach on mind control, which has worked.
– I have written down my feelings on paper, if it has started to get tense or distressing. Traveling around the world is quite lonely. With this method, I have been able to release my feelings. It’s made it easier.
At Christmas, golf is not on Riihijärvi’s mind. The real preparation for the tour starts in a few weeks.
Riihijärvi’s goal for next season is to keep a place on the tour. Big dreams are still ahead.
– Yes, I would like to win there and do well. That’s a longer-term goal. Still, you still have to take it one day at a time.