Breakout Season at 15
Iida Lehtomäki delivered one of the season’s biggest breakout performances, finishing 2nd at the PDGA Pro World Championship at just 15 years old. Showing that level of skill, composure, and potential at such a young age made Iida a sought-after talent — and Team Innova is grateful to have this rising star on Team Champion in 2026.
Last year, Iida landed top-10 finishes in all three DGPT Elite events she competed in. Along the way, her player rating jumped over 35 points from the end of 2024 to the end of 2025. Her career earnings told a similar story, rising from $269 to $14,766.
At Worlds, she led the field in both birdie rate and bogey avoidance — stats that usually signal a runaway win. And if not for one blow-up hole all weekend, she would’ve been the youngest World Champion in history. All that success earned her the 2025 PDGA Rookie of the Year title, becoming the first European to win the honor in FPO. Even without a full season schedule, Iida proved that when she’s in the field, she can compete with the best in the world.
Just as impressive has been the way Iida approaches the game off the course. She’s shown a strong sense of balance early in her career, understanding that time with friends and family matters, school can’t be pushed aside, and it’s important to stay connected to other interests. That maturity — especially at her age — is a rare advantage, and it’s the kind of mentality that helps athletes not just succeed, but keep loving the sport over the long run.
This offseason, Iida has focused on strength training, technical refinement, and putting—the stuff she can work on indoors through the winter. With a World Championship podium already in her pocket, she heads into next season with confidence and a ceiling that’s still nowhere close to being reached.
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