# Roope Kakko

Roope Kakko (born 13 February 1982) is a Finnish professional golfer.

## Early life and career

Kakko was born in Espoo, Finland. He started playing golf at the age of five.
In 2004, Kakko became only the third amateur to win a tournament on the Challenge Tour, when he won his home event, the Volvo Finnish Open. The win earned him a Challenge Tour card for the following season; having turned professional later in 2004, he joined the Challenge Tour full-time. He was a regular on the tour for the next five seasons, although he did not win again, with a best finish on the money list of 27th in 2008, when he was twice a runner-up. His strong 2008 season gained Kakko entry into a small number of European Tour events and he capitalised on those opportunities by making successive top-10 finishes at the 2009 BMW Italian Open and 3 Irish Open. Despite these successes, his limited playing opportunities meant Kakko returned to the Challenge Tour full-time in 2010, but at the end of that season he came through the Qualifying School to secure full membership of the European Tour for the first time. In October 2013, Kakko won at the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic on the Challenge Tour.
In August 2015, Kakko claimed his first victory on the European Tour at the Madeira Islands Open - Portugal - BPI. It was a dual-ranking European and Challenge Tour event.
In September 2024, Kakko won the final event of the 2024 Finnish Tour season, claiming the season-long Order of Merit title.

## Personal life

Kakko is married to former LPGA Tour golfer Minea Blomqvist; they have two children together.

## Professional wins (8)
### European Tour wins (1)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
| 1 | 2 Aug 2015 | Madeira Islands Open - Portugal - BPI$^1$ | −24 (66-71-64-63=264) | 3 strokes | Scott Henry |
$^1$Dual-ranking event with the Challenge Tour

### Challenge Tour wins (3)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | 4 Jul 2004 | Volvo Finnish Open (as an amateur) | −11 (68-67-67=202)* | Playoff | Phillip Archer, Johan Axgren |
| 2 | 27 Oct 2013 | National Bank of Oman Golf Classic | −14 (70-69-66-69=274) | 2 strokes | Lucas Bjerregaard |
| 3 | 2 Aug 2015 | Madeira Islands Open - Portugal - BPI$^1$ | −24 (66-71-64-63=264) | 3 strokes | Scott Henry |
*Note: The 2004 Volvo Finnish Open was shortened to 54 holes due to rain. $^1$Dual-ranking event with the European Tour
Challenge Tour playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
| 1 | 2004 | Volvo Finnish Open (as an amateur) | Phillip Archer, Johan Axgren | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 2008 | Margara Diehl-Ako Platinum Open | Taco Remkes | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |

### Nordic Golf League wins (1)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
| 1 | 20 Jun 2004 | Sonera Open (as an amateur) | −10 (68-67-71=206) | Playoff | Heikki Mäntylä |

### Finnish Tour wins (4)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
| 1 | 15 Sep 2018 | Vierumäki Tour Final | −15 (73-66-62=201) | 8 strokes | Jaakko Mäkitalo |
| 2 | 7 Jun 2020 | Finnish Tour I | −17 (66-66-67=199) | Playoff | Matias Honkala |
| 3 | 16 May 2021 | Finnish Tour Opening | −1 (72-72-71=215) | Playoff | Miki Kuronen |
| 4 | 14 Sep 2024 | Finnish Tour Final (2) | −10 (68-67-71=206) | Playoff | Niclas Hellberg |

## Team appearances

Amateur
* European Youths' Team Championship (representing Finland): 2002
* European Amateur Team Championship (representing Finland): 2003
Professional
* World Cup (representing Finland): 2008, 2013