Eveliina Salonen shoots the HOT Final Round to win by 8 Strokes

Does Evelina first one at the elite level in 2008? She's had this a long time. She's had a lot of really great seasons. 2004 she won two majors including a world title and yet she might be having her best season ever. She completed the career grand slam this season as well. She had previously won the Kona Peace Day Open, a year where they had multiple European majors but it was this year taking down that European Open in Tallinn, Estonia. 12 wins elite series or major and six of them have been comeback wins. Compare that to four of Silva's 10 wins being comebacks. And even though hole two and three are super similar we can see how our players are attacking them different. Three forehands, Silva does not have a forehand. That's a bullseye birdie for Gannon. Evelina is way well up the fairway as well and that is headed for the basket. Hits that last guardian, stays at 30 feet. Evelina for the outright lead. She'll get another one from the edge of the circle. Evelina cracking open the putt allowing us to see her complete potential here. Heiser forehand, comfortable shape for her to find the circle. Two paces outside the bullseye. Evelina is going to have a frontes. I did not, I don't believe it. I did not think a two stroke swing would come across the board on the lead card on hole five. We'll tend to have that disc fall out. This is getting back on Heiser quick. That is just past the basket. Does it hold on? An opportunity to extend the lead to four. She's gonna get it. Just walking some home right now. They're making that ceiling look tall but we assure you it's not. She has already won twice at the elite level. She's never won more than twice in one season going back to 2018 when you're talking about the elite series. Good rebound right there. That putt was way more difficult than the one she had on the previous hole where she missed. Evelina's eighth circle one make of the day. She is now eight for nine. Tia 12 to position. Rarely see make rudimentary mistakes like that. I mean how many shots has Evelina actually messed up today? Like two total? Maybe. I mean I don't have too many in my mind's eye that I can recall. I love this course. I could play this track all of the time. I'm so impressed with the way they utilize this park and how the Morton Parks department allowed such a complex to come into it. Wide head for the same rough. That tree's going to knock it down. That's actually still in the birdie zone. Missy holding on to her fourth through six places in the elite series and event. We've been all the all the events in my bag with the exception of the major. And it's going to be the seventh time that Evelina has tracked someone down. Beautiful flight right there by Evelina. All right one off a share of the course record. This is a great start. It sure is. Keep carrying. Well Evelina decides to not attack. She just throws the forehand around the corner. Owens-Coggins will hold on to that course record more than likely. And who knows? I mean I don't know if she's gonna know what the course record was. I definitely know. I didn't know what course records were in the time when I was playing. Just a master class right now by Evelina. Never letting any light show through. And that is Evelina Solomon a dominant victory. She is the first international player to become a champion here at Ledgestone. Ladies and gentlemen your 2026 Ledgestone Open champion Evelina Salonen. In China last year you told me the game was feeling the opposite of fun. It was starting to feel horrible to come out and play each and every week. How did you come back from that and get to this level where you're playing the best golf of your career? I mean I feel I have always like been throwing that well. But when you can't get the putter in the basket it's not too fun. And you can like see all those opportunities slipping away. So yeah finally making putts so it's more fun. Is it just time passing? Is it a new mindset? Is it extra practice? Is it a new grip? What is it that's gotten you to this level? You're putting phenomenal right now. I don't know. It's not always on this level. Like I felt I didn't have that confidence on first two rounds. But then like something happened and I feel like when I'm battling like about the win I can like I'm always focusing more and then like suddenly it can work. You play Northwoods so well. You won the major here in 24. What is it about this place that makes so much sense to you? I think this reminds me about like Finnish courses. I grew up playing in the woods so it's super like natural for me and I like to play in woods more. When we zoom out at your career your win totals are starting to get up there with some of the best players of all time. When you started getting into the professional ranks was being one of the best players of all time even something you dreamed about? Yeah of course I always want to be the best and it's nice to see like I can win. We're going to Des Moines next week, driving across the country. How are you feeling about that course next week? I actually I'm going to fly tonight back to home and spending a couple weeks there and then coming back to world. Enjoy your rest. Evelina your champion let's hear it for congratulations. Thank you. Hi I'm Evelina Salonen. Thank you for watching the Disc Golf Pro Tour on YouTube. Please like the video for more disc golf content.