Intro:

Mikko Ilonen hailed the best year of his career after becoming the first Finnish player to win the Volvo World Match Play Championship with a hard-fought victory on Sunday over top seed and good friend Henrik Stenson.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: Mikko Ilonen, winner

"I played a lot stronger this afternoon than I did this morning against Joost (Luiten) and for some reason I felt comfortable. You would have thought maybe get nervous against the world number five. But I have played so much golf with Henrik (Stenson) over the years so I felt like we were playing just a friendly match."

SOUNDBITE: Mikko Ilonen, winner

"Unreal (the feeling), really, if you look at all the names. But I think this will have to sink in for a while, to see my own name on the trophy amongst all the great players there. It is a big thing."

SOUNDBITE: Mikko Ilonen, winner

"I've set goals a few years back. One for every year, world ranking-based and I am after the number for this year and I am still a little bit behind. But I now ... obviously this will give me a good kick to the end of the season. Now I have a chance to reach it."

SOUNDBITE: Henrik Stenson, beaten finalist

"Yeah, I think I had run out of energy already after the morning match. I was ... I did not have much to give in the afternoon match and I feel like I battled my swing for the last day-and-a-half in these breezy conditions. The best I have played was kind of in the middle of the week and it was more about hanging on a little bit here. And Mikko did not make many mistakes here and when he did he saved himself nicely. So the best player won in the afternoon and all the credit for his fine performance this week."