Mikko Rantanen, the Finnish ice hockey superstar, established the Mikko Rantanen Academy in 2020. The academy provides a coaching environment for 9 to 15 year old junior ice hockey players. Over 200 young athletes participate in its high quality training camps annually, and Mikko Rantanen coaches at the summer camps every summer.

As one of the academy’s fundraising methods, the Mikko Rantanen Academy and its staff organize a golf tournament. The event was held at Kankaisten Golf, the largest golf center in Southwest Finland. It is less than 10 kilometers away from Mikko Rantanen’s hometown of Nousiainen.

Kim, my neighbor, participated in the golf tournament with his friends. A total of 18 teams of 4 people had registered for the tournament, and the course had 18 holes. Each team started from their own holes. VEHO, a car dealership, was one of the event's main sponsors, and their cars were on display on the course.

A new Rolex was promised to anyone who made a hole in one during the competition. This watch was arranged by my friend Joonas. He also arranged a Rolex for Rantanen to buy Roslovic's number last winter. However, Joonas got to keep his Rolex because no one made a hole in one during the day.

Hit closer to the flag than Mikko

The star of the evening, Mikko Rantanen, did not play on any team but was present at the tournament throughout the day. At hole 5, there was a competition where each player on a team had to individually beat Mikko Rantanen. Of course, Mikko's team included one player who was better at golf.

That hole was a par 3, so a player had to get the ball onto the green with their first shot. If the ball landed on the green, the shot was then measured from the flag, and the player who hit it closest won. My neighbor Kim's teammate Aku beat Rantanen. Their team also did well in the tournament, finishing in third place.

Kim and his friends had asked Rantanen about his golf handicap. He guessed it was a HCP 21.4. This is a typical handicap for an average recreational player and means that the player is expected to play about 21 to 22 strokes over the course's ideal score (par) for an 18 hole round.

After the tournament, there was an award ceremony and dinner at the club. The prizes included golf related items, champagne, and gift certificates. The star of the event, Rantanen, had a smile on his face throughout the day and made the audience laugh during the awards ceremony.