CHRIS Hanson strolled to a six shot victory in the Spirotech Manchester Open at Marriott Worsley Park then dedicated it to his 67-year-old dad John who has spent the last nine days in a Huddersfield hospital.“I’ve won this for him,” he said after his second and final round 64 took him to an impressive 11-under-par total.
“He’s been suffering from Parkinson’s disease and recently had a turn for the worse,” he explained.
“I saw him before I went out and he told me to enjoy myself no matter how I played. I just hope this will give him a lift.”
Hanson, 23, a graduate of Myerscough College and attached to Huddersfield club Crosland Heath, birdied the final three holes to add to the four he picked up earlier as he left the rest of the field trailing in his wake.
And his performance more than compensated for his last appearance at Worsley two years ago when he missed the cut in a PGA Challenge Tour event.
This was his second win as a professional, having prevailed at Bovey Castle in 2006 on the EuroPro Tour but he fluffed a chance to repeat his success in the opening event of the season when he forfeited a five-shot lead going into the final round at Collingtree Park in Northants.
“I was one ahead on the last hole but finished with a nine after going out of bounds,” he rued. “But I learned from the mistake.”
And there was no danger that happening on this occasion after a dazzling display of shot making which relegated overnight leader Paul Eales, from Garstang, to a share of second place with Yorkshire duo Laurie Turner, from Scalm Park, and Dore & Totley-attached Neil Cheetham who is taking a break for playing in South Africa.
Hanson, who is getting married at the end of the year, is hoping it will be third time lucky when he attends the European Tour School in the autumn.
“I’m still on a learning curve but this victory will give me more experience in my attempt to gain my card,” he said and he attributed his success to Drew Wallace, a sports psychologist at Myerscough, and more recently Manchester mind coach Karl Morris, along with his tutor John Eyre, the pro at Woodsome Hall.
“They’ve all helped with my routines,” he added.
LEADING FINAL SCORES: 131 Chris Hanson (Crosland Heath) 67 64; 137 Laurie Turner (Scalm Park) 69 68, Neil Cheetham (Dore & Tortley) 68 69, Paul Eales (Garstang) 66 71; 138 Ian Keenan (Royal Liverpool) 69 69, David Smith (Swinton Park) 68 70; 139 Mark Bradley (Chorley) 72 67, Steve Parry (unatt) 71 68, Paul Grannell (Vale Royal Abbey) 60 69, James Barr (Chilli Dip Academy) 70 69, David Shacklady (Mossock Hall) 68 71, David Clark (Morpeth) 67 72, Adrian Ambler (Walton Golf Centre) 67 72.
0 comments:
Post a Comment