• Nordea Masters, Round Four

Ilonen cruises to victory in Sweden

ESPN staff
June 2, 2013
Mikko Ilonen picked up his first European Tour win in six years at the Nordea Masters © Getty Images
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Nordea Masters leaderboard

Mikko Ilonen strolled to victory in the final round of the Nordea Masters on Sunday, claiming his first European Tour title in six years.

A stunning third-round 65 meant the Finn took a three-shot lead into the last day, and a three-under 69 was enough to preserve that advantage at Bro Hof Slott.

The Finn was never unduly threatened during the closing round, winning with some comfort over Sweden's Jonas Blixt.

"It's pretty special," said Ilonen. "I could feel a lot of support from Finland, especially today."

Twice a runner-up on the European Tour already in 2013, Ilonen was happy to finally get a victory.

"To bounce back this soon is really good," he added. "It's really satisfying, but the show I saw in China [at the China Open] - I didn't lose the tournament, Brett [Rumford] won it, so hats off to him.

"Obviously I've been waiting for this moment for a few weeks now. People have been expecting me to win but most of all I've been expecting myself to win, so to pull it off here after those second places is very satisfying.

"It's been a long time [since I won] but I haven't forgotten how it felt."

Blixt edged out Bernd Wiesberger for third, with England's Ross Fisher storming into the top ten thanks to a final round of 64 - the best score of the day.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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