Christopher Hanson Q&A Interview
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Read the exclusive interview below with local golf professional Chris Hanson.
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Tell us about your best moment of 2006:
That is a hard one and it's the first question... lol. Until my win, it was
at Mollington in Chester when I lost in a playoff, I felt I showed a lot of
guts and the main thing was my Dad was there to watch it!! The win was
pretty special too but I was on my own with no one to share it with and had
a 5 hour drive home on my own with no phone battery. So I think the event at
Chester was my best moment as my Dad saw the final round when I played great!
Tell us about your lowest moment of 2006:
That was probably the 5 weeks after I had won, I was on a real high from the
win and felt great but then missed 4 out of 5 cuts and really did not play bad!!
It was a real shame. Needed to take a week off really, and did not, so it
was a stretch of 8 weeks' golfing that wore me down! I will learn from it though!!
What was the most/least pleasing aspect of your game last year?
My driving of the ball has come on so much and really helped this year as I
could rely on it to get me in play. My stats have gone up to show that too,
by 9%, and I have played 9 more rounds in 2006 than the previous year.
My chipping really let me down throughout the year which is something I really have to
improve. The strange thing is that the hard chips are the ones I find easy and can pull
them off from anywhere but the easy chips I sometimes fail to produce! At
Q-school it really showed too and cost me a place at Stage 3!
On a scale of 1 to 10. How would you rate 2006 in golfing terms?
10/10 - I was over the moon! I could not have wished for any more. I know I
missed out on the challenge Tour by £200 but if you consider my original goal I set at the beginning of the year was to finish in the top 50, I think
I should be happy!
What are your main goals for next season?
1. To compete at the top every week. This year I failed to put in enough top
finishes, apart from the results that stand out. My best finish was 18th so
that is something I need to work on!
2. Producing a better first round
to get me in contention more, this will help me achieve the goal
above.
3. Qualify for the Open - that will be a goal ever year, and then
hopefully the next one I set will be to win it!!
Where would you like to be in 3 years time?
I would like to be playing on a consistent basis on the European Tour!!
Competing at the best level with the best players in the world.
What is the main specific area of your game you will need to improve to make
2007 a great year?
Fitness really is going to help me! I have worked a lot so far on this
aspect and I feel a lot stronger already, I'm hitting the ball better and
further with less effort. It will really help with stamina too, both
physical and mental! ........ And chipping, like a said earlier! lol.
How important is the mental side of golf to you and where does it help you
the most?
It's massive, I have worked with Drew now for 2 winters and this year it has
been so helpful! He is very professional and we work a lot on routines! It
helps under pressure the most as things never change throughout my routine
and that helps me perform to my best.
In the final round of a tournament and you have to make birdie to win or par
to force a play-off - what is your game plan?
Take every shot one at a time - my Dad always said that! Just think about
hitting the fairway, then when you get to your ball think about your options
and only think about that shot until its time to hit your next wherever it
may be. Don't look ahead to the result as your shots before it can only
control that!
Do you have a good rapport with fellow EuroPro players? Who is your best mate?
Yeah, it's great, I have been made really welcome by all the players! I
travel with Sean Doherty and play practice rounds with him and Neil Walker.
But aside from the friends I already had then, Andy Willey is great, I
really get on with him and we'll play a lot together this coming year.
What advice would you give to a 16 year old playing off 2 handicap who wants
to play golf for a living?
Find the best way for you to play golf and plan a backup alongside it i.e. education! Then practice, practice, and practice but be patient! Don't force
your handicap, a lot of lads do this and it just does not happen. If you
put the work in it will come!
What is the best/worst part about playing golf for a living?
The best part has to be that you are doing something you love! I am so lucky
to be doing that and to be out there enjoying it! I love being outside too
and would hate to be locked up in an office, it's not me.
The worst part is just being away from family and Laura, it is hard but coming home
after an event is great! You just wanna get back when it's over and rest as
the weeks are long.
How important are your sponsors?
Sponsors are massive and that's why I am so lucky!! I know some great
players out there who don't have the backing and it's like a talent wasted!
Sponsors are such a help and mental because you know that your putt on the last from
5 feet for that extra £300 is not to pay next week's entry! It's a weight of
your shoulders.
Who is your golfing role model?
Like most people I think Tiger Woods is awesome and he will dominate for along time to come! But I really like Jack Nicklaus as I recently watched some
old videos of his and his achievements are amazing! They are on a very
similar scale. My Dad has also been a great role model for me as he brought
me up in the game playing those Saturday Medals and the family fourball
comps. Swing wise I think Seve is great and could watch him swing the club all day!
What would be your ideal 4-Ball (past or present)?
Not easy - Me, Dad, Tiger and Jack or Seve
Do you have a regular caddy?
No... Alex Kaye, Toby Garrett, Andrew Snoddy have caddied a few times
throughout the year and it's great to have them on board, it does help. But
to have a caddie each week is an extra expense which I can't really afford.
What are your main hobbies outside of golf?
Fitness, Squash, and watching the Huddersfield Giants!!
What type of music do you listen to?
RnB... but I can listen to anything really, whatever the radio has to
offer.
What is your favourite food?
Italian, pizza and pasta followed very closely by an Indian!!
You mention "Team Hanson" on your website and talk about your coaches a lot
in your newsletters. Tell us a little bit about each one and their importance to you:
Sue Kaye has helped me so much over the last couple of years with sponsors,
my golf day and the shares scheme we run. If it was not for Sue then I
probably would not have been able to fund my year!
John Eyre has supported me for about 6/7 years now and his help and commitment has got me
to where I am now. I can't thank him enough!
Drew Wallace, again Dew has supported me since I was at Myerscough in 2001, and his help has been
fantastic. It improved my game so much this year and I really don't think
most people know how much psychology helps your golf!
I now have Lynn Booth working with my fitness too and again it's a great help, I have known
Lynn from Yorkshire boys coaching about 6 years ago but never really paid
enough attention to her. I regret it now but am trying my best to make up for it now!
Sum up life on the EuroPro Tour in a couple of sentences:
Great atmosphere and a fantastic place to learn your trade! The standard in
the top 50 is really good and makes it a great tournament each week as past
and present European tour players are pegging it up with you!
Finally, You will kindly be writing a monthly column for www.huddersfieldgolf.co.uk this
year, what can our visitors expect to read about throughout the year?
How the past weeks have gone, my results, how I have hit the ball, how my
mental game was, along with the highs and lows and hopefully a few good
stories from the other experienced players I can share.
Thanks for your time Chris in answering our questions, good luck for the coming season:
No worries, thanks for showing an interest in
my golf and hope your website keeps going from strength to strength. See Ya, Chris.
