STUTTGART, Germany -- After 28 years of playing golf, John-Paul Hansen, 32, has a good idea of what he is and is not.
“I’m not very flashy. I’m a pretty steady player. My game is fairways and greens ... I may make a putt or two,” Hansen said.
So no one was more surprised than Hansen when he sunk a 35 foot putt on the 17th hole during the second round of the U.S. Forces Golf Championships June 19 at the Stuttgart Golf Course.
“Going into the last two holes, I told myself I wanted to finish par birdie. I made that putt, and it was the turning point. I knew I was back in the game " it was awesome,” he said.
Hansen, with a renewed sense of confidence, made par on the 18th hole and closed the round with a 77, giving him a tournament total of 157 and more importantly, a one-stroke advantage over his nearest rival.
It was a come from behind win for the Air Force C-130J loadmaster assigned to Ramstein.
Hansen’s first day total of 80 put him two off the pace of Ramstein’s Joseph Ferrall and Stuttgart’s Richard Gilbert, both tied at 78.
On Sunday, before he ever hit the course, Hansen said his plan was to shoot even par.
And for the first six holes, he stuck to it, even exceeded it, with a score that was, up to that point, one under par.
But the wind conditions turned brutal and Hansen had to reevaluate his game plan. “After the wind started howling, I told myself two or three over would be good enough,” he said.
Turns out, even four over was “good enough” for the championship flight trophy.
Hansen, who finished fifth in the 2010 U.S. Forces Europe championship, credits his success this year to having played in enough tournaments to get comfortable in a tournament setting.
“I overcame my nervousness,” he said.
It allowed him to play his own game without over thinking his shots or forcing them.
“When you try to make scores, bad things happen,” he said. “When you let it come to you, good things happen.”
2011 U.S. Forces Europe results
Women " (Net) 1. Hollie Salvo, 157, Wiesbaden; 2. Simone Hamilton, 204, Stuttgart. (Gross) 1. Katalina Liliu, 167, Stuttgart.
Seniors flight " (Net) 1. Pat McKenzie, 142, Wiesbaden; 2. David Terrell, 151, Stuttgart; 3. Keith Westbay, 159, Stuttgart; 4. Mike Esters, 171, Stuttgart. (Gross) 1. Michael Wojciehowski, 170, Ramstein; 2. Fred Perez, 176, Heidelberg; 3. Larry Steinman, 182, Garmisch; 4. John Cavanaugh, 196, Habsberg Golf Club.
A flight " (Net) 1. Steve Bennet, 151, Stuttgart; 2. John Cryer, 154, Stuttgart; 3. Oscar Diano, 155, Stuttgart; 4. Gregory Hale, 155, Bamberg; 5. Taatu Liliu, 158, Stuttgart; 6. Robert Lamp, 158, Stuttgart. (Gross) 1. John Weissenborn, 165, Heidelberg; 2. Sy Daranouvong, 177, Heidelberg; 3. Lee Chandler, 178, Wiesbaden; 4. Kelly Hart, 179, Stuttgart; 5. Fred Hudson, 184, Stuttgart; 6. Kurtis Julian, 191, Stuttgart.
Championship flight (Gross) " 1. John Hansen, 157, Ramstein; 2. Joseph Ferrall, 158, Ramstein; 3. Joshua Woodfox, 161, Heidelberg; 4. Richard Gilbert, 162, Stuttgart; 5. Ryan Stamp, 166, Stuttgart; 6. Randy McGinnis, 166, Ramstein.
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