Elena and Veeti – a new collaboration begins
Elena will start working with young golfer Veeti Sirviö in the 2026 season. Veeti is a 16-year-old sports high school student from Sotkamo and is training purposefully in the Katinkulta Golf competition coaching team and in the Sotkamo sports high school golf group.
Our goal is to support Veeti's development and increase the visibility of junior golf. In the Veeti Corner on this page, we will follow Veeti's training, competition trips and learning during the season.
This is a journey towards the top — welcome to join us.
⛳ Masters done – and once again, couldn’t miss it
This year’s The Masters is wrapped up, and Rory McIlroy took the Green Jacket 👏
Have to admit – it’s one of those weekends every year you just look forward to. Same views, same atmosphere… and that feeling that golf season is starting.
This year had an extra layer for me.
A young golfer we support, Veeti, wrote his own thoughts about The Masters before the tournament– and I found myself going back to that text after watching the final round. “The Masters and the chase for the Green Jacket stay the same – and so do we, on the same couch,year after year.
”That one hit home 😄
For many of us, golf is exactly that – small traditions that repeat every year. And maybe one day…
that couch turns into Augusta 😉
– genuine stuff #TheMasters #Golf #GolfLife #NextGeneration
Sports have had a hugely positive impact on my life. I started my own sports journey at the age of three, and I’ve always been interested in stick-and-ball sports. Out of these, I’ve especially enjoyed sports where you handle equipment like a racket or astick—such as tennis, floorball, ice hockey, and golf.
I feel that coaches have played a major role in my journey—from getting started in sports, to staying committed, enjoying the process, and ultimately making success possible.
I feel that coaches have played a major role in my journey—from getting started in sports, to staying committed, enjoying the process, and ultimately making success possible.
In this edition of my Corner, I want to introduce the coaches at Katinkulta Golf. Our junior competitive golf groupis coached by Ville-Petteri Peittola, Pertti Oja, and Tuomas Tuovinen. A good coaching relationship creates positive experiences on both sides.
Ville-Petteri Peittola
Ville-Petteri has been coaching mesince lower secondary school academy camps. He is a relaxed and understandinggolf coach, and it’s easy to be yourself around him.He also has a fun golfbackground—when he was younger, he played competitive golf right-handed, butlater switched to what he calls “the side of real players,” meaningleft-handed.
Tuomas Tuovinen
Tuomas has many years of experienceboth playing and competing. His journey has taken him from starting golf at ayoung age all the way to the professional European Tour.As a coach, he has a strongunderstanding of the game and its different aspects. He also runs very interesting and challenging practice sessions.
Pertti Oja
Pertti works as a PGA professionalat Katinkulta and is also the Executive Director of Katinkulta Ry.He has been my coach since my tennis days. When Iwas younger, I played tennis and attended junior training sessions once a week.Pertti is great with people of all
This summer I have the opportunity to spend my working days outdoors doing something I truly enjoy, as I was fortunate to get a summer job with Katinkulta Golf Club. The club's junior golf programme is supported by a development grant from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. The funding helps organise summer activities, encourages children to be physically active, and provides young people with opportunities to work and become involved in club activities. The main goal of the project is to introduce golf as a sport while inspiring
children and young people to stay active through golf. My job includes introducing juniors to golf and helping them learn the game on our Par 3 course. Golf has always been close to my heart, so having the chance to share my passion for the sport with children and young players immediately felt like a dream job. An important part of coaching is teaching golf etiquette and safety rules, because when golf clubs are involved, safety and awareness always come first.
So far, we have welcomed around ten groups of school children each week. When there are no junior groups, I help by sorting, cleaning and maintaining the golf clubs in the club's rental equipment storage. One of the best parts of my job is that I also get to practise and improve my own golf skills during the day together with the young players. I really enjoy the work – it is calm, independent, social and rewarding.
My 2026 tournament season began on 23–25 May in Parainen at Archipelagia Golf, where the FootJoy Finnish Junior Tour U18 season opener was played. The event immediately brought excitement and a completely new challenge.
Our trip started early on Thursday morning at 5:00 a.m. as we left Sotkamo in the Vuokatti Sports Academy minibus with our coach, Ville-Petteri Peittola. The journey to Parainen is an impressive 678 kilometres, and my travelling companions were Minea Aidanpää, Arrni Klemetti and Lucas Bund. It was a long day on the road, but we wanted to arrive early enough to play a practice round before the tournament started. This was the first tournament of my career played from the white tees, making it an entirely new experience. The competition was strong, with 81 players taking part, and only the top 48 would make the cut after two rounds and qualify for the final day.I accepted the challenge and set myself one clear goal for the weekend: to make it through to the third and final round.
There were definitely some nerves before Friday's opening round. The course proved demanding from the white tees, and I especially struggled with my drives. Once my tee shots became inconsistent, the whole round felt like a battle.I finished the first round with 85 strokes (+14), leaving me disappointed and below the projected cut line.On Saturday I was determined to fight back. The front nine was still difficult and I turned at +6. However, everything changed on the back nine. My swing finally started to click, I found a great rhythm, and before the final hole I was one under par on the back nine.Despite making a bogey on the last hole, I signed for an excellent 77 (+6). The feeling was incredible because it was enough to move inside the cut line. I had achieved my goal and earned my place in the final round.
Unfortunately, Sunday's final round was once again a bit of a struggle. The front nine was still manageable at +6, but the back nine turned out to be much more challenging this time. I finished the tournament with an 87 (+16).The first tournament of the season gave me a valuable lesson: I need to become more consistent. At my best, golf feels easy and everything flows naturally, but there are still too many ups and downs in my game.Even so, the weekend gave me plenty of confidence and valuable experience. Now it's time to keep practising, keep improving, and look forward to the next tournaments.
I’ve been watching The Masters sinceI was a kid. It’s one of the most prestigious tournaments in golf. The Masters begins this weekend, and watching it has always been something I share with mydad. My interest in the tournament comes from him. It’s also a tradition that signals the start of my own golf season.
When the bright green fairways of Augusta and the glowing red azaleas appear on the TV screen, and Antti Vaalas says his famous words:
“I’m Antti Vaalas, and welcome to The Masters. Wherever you are, a golf-filled weekend starts now.”
We’ve always had a tradition where my dad gives me a 20-euro note, and I go to the store to get our “tournament snacks.” This is something we’ve always done—and always will. When I was younger, I was especially excited about buying and eating the snacks. Back then, the treats were the most important part. Nowadays, the uniqueness of the tournament has taken over.
One of my dreams is to experience The Masters live in Augusta—to witness the hunt for the Green Jacket in person.I’d love to
see Amen Corner, formed by holes 11, 12, and 13. It’s probably the most legendary three-hole stretch in golf, where many Masters tournaments have been decided.
The Masters and the chase for the Green Jacket remain the same—and so do we, sitting on the same couch year after year. This year, there’s also a Finnish player in the field, and I’ll be cheering for Sami Välimäki. Still, I believe the Green Jacket will go to Jon Rahm.
I live in Kainuu, where snow covers the ground for most of the year. Despite all the different sports available, I chose golf. There are three golf courses in Kainuu, but it’s still quite rare for a young person here to say they playgolf. What makes golf so addictive is the feeling you get from those small moments of success. Even if a round isn’t going well, one perfect shot—like making a long putt—can give you an incredible feeling and completely change your mindset for the rest of the round.
Golf is also a game you can never fully “complete.” There is always something to improve. Your swing is constantly evolving, and success and failure go hand in hand. In Finland, winter training happens indoors—using simulators, indoor facilities, and home practice. Winter is actually the best time to focus on improving your technique, building physical strength, and maintaining your feel for the game without pressure. At our latitude, being a competitive golfer probably means you have to be a little bit crazy—or at least extremely passionate and committed. Winters here are long, cold, dark, and full of snow.
I train golf indoors for more than half of the year. The goal during winter is to maintain my feel for the game while developing my technique and physical performance. My training is split between golf practice and physical training. Even though the winter season is long, my motivation to improve stays high. Training never feels like something I have to do—it feels like an opportunity to get better.
Monday: 2 h simulator + 1h gym
Tuesday: 1 h gym
Wednesday: 2 h simulator
Thursday: 1h gym + 2 h simulator
Friday Restday
Saturday: 1 h independent physical training + 1 h other sport (winter: tennis) + 1–2 h simulator
Sunday: 2 h simulator + short game practice (on tennis courts)
