Henrik Stenson, the highest ranked player in the field this week in the Volvo World Match Play, took the early advantage over Mikko Ilonen with a birdie to go 1-UP at the par-3 fourth hole in the final match on Sunday.
Ilonen righted the ship quickly and won Nos. 5, 8, 11 and 12 to take a 3-UP lead with six holes left to play.
Stenson struggled throughout the round and never seemed comfortable over the London Golf Club in Kent, England. He battled to the end, winning the par-5 No. 13 to get back to 2-Down with five holes remaining.
Ilonen was not intimidated by the fifth-ranked player in the world. After a perfectly struck iron over the pin at the par-3 14th, he calmly rolled in the birdie putt to get back to 3-UP.
Ilonen found a bunker off the tee at the par-5 15th and Stenson won the hole with birdie to get back to 2-Down with just three to play.
Both players found the green and two-putted for pars at the 16th, leaving Stenson dormie with two holes to play.
When Stenson missed his birdie putt at No. 17, he conceded Ilonen’s four-foot birdie for the 3&1 win.
This is the fifth and certainly most significant European victory for Ilonen and his second title of the year. He won the Irish Open by one stroke over Eduardo Molinari in June.
Ilonen bested Joost Luiten 2&1 to win his semi-final match and Stenson won three of the final six holes to beat George Coetzee 1-UP in the other semi-final.
Coetzee and Luiten waged an up and down battle in their consolation match. Luiten won five holes on the front nine and took a 2-UP lead to the second nine.
Coetzee came back with wins at Nos. 11 and 13 to draw the match back to even.
Both players continued to halve Nos. 14-18 with pars and were forced to play extra holes to decide the match.
Luiten went on to win the first playoff hole and finish third.
The Volvo World Match Play has a long and distinguished history. Gary Player won this event five times over its first ten years and was runner-up in 1974. Arnold Palmer was the World Match Play Champion twice. Jack Nicklaus, finished runner-up twice and won the title in 1970.
Greg Norman (3), Seve Ballesteros (5), Nick Faldo (2), Ian Woosnam (3) and Ernie Els (7) all won multiple World Match Play titles.
Ilonen earned $830,000 and adds his name to an illustrious list of former winners.