Chris Hanson’s gamble on a trip to China has paid off this week.
The Woodsome Hall man was in two minds whether to make the long trip, due to the expense and bureaucracy involved.
But he finished 26th in the Shankai Classic at Chongqing Poly Golf Club last weekend, winning 2,443 Euros and covering his costs – he also moved up to 62nd in the Order of Merit.
Making the cut in Rome and finishing tied 25th at the Olgiata Golf Club at the beginning of this month kept him inside that all important top 70 on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit and earned him a place in the field for the two Challenge Tour events in China.
Before leaving he said: “That was the great news, but then I had to find a way of getting there, cost effectively, and with a visa.
“When you add up the costs for the two weeks before all the hidden extras you forget about, I was already up to a grand total of £1,800 before I had even eaten.
“That includes hotel, flights, transfers, trains, visas, petrol, parking and entry fees – but I had to take the chance.
“It’s a good opportunity to push up the Order of Merit as the money in the event is increased and only 60-ish Challenge Tour players are playing each week, with the fields being filled with local Chinese players.”
Life on the road is not always glamorous, the trip involved a 12-hour flight, a seven-hour time difference and a 12-hour layover in Hong Kong – including a five-hour nap on a bench, while Hanson waited for his visa to be processed.
After a rain delay and with qualifying reduced to one round, Hanson made the cut, which had been reduced to 50 players, with a level par 72.
Despite picking up a heavy cold and sneezing his way around the golf course, he managed to put together a solid two-under par round of 70. He did the same the following day, posting a bogey-free final round.
Hanson only looked in trouble once, after plugging a shot in the bunker on the 13th, but holed a 15-foot putt to save par.
Afterwards he said: “A massive positive for me over the last two rounds was that I only missed two fairways with the driver, for me that is massive progress and a huge confidence boost going into the second leg of the China swing.”
The following morning he was up early for a flight south, followed by an hour’s bus ride to Foshan Golf Club to start his preparation for the second and last event in China, The Foshan Open, which concludes tomorrow.
