Ryder Cup: Hanson’s son on the mend

Published on 26/09/2012 03:33

SWEDEN’S Peter Hanson can focus fully on helping Europe retain the Ryder Cup in Chicago this week after a happy conclusion to the health scare surrounding his one-year-old son.

On the second day of the KLM Open in the Netherlands earlier this month, Hanson called home to his wife Sanna in Florida to hear the news that their son Tim had been taken to hospital with a respiratory virus.

The 34-year-old was on the verge of withdrawing from the tournament until his wife convinced him there was nothing he could do, and two days later he rolled in an eagle putt on the 72nd hole to claim his first victory for two years.

“It was a very strange week,” Hanson said yesterday. “Sometimes this game is just a strange game. When you think about other stuff in between shots.... I was thinking about him all the way around, especially Saturday. And all of a sudden, golf doesn’t become that important anymore. So that might be one of the reasons why I won that tournament.”

As for his son, Hanson added: “He’s doing a lot better. They got out of hospital the Monday I got back home, which was nice. He’s of course lost quite a bit of weight. He’s turning two now in a couple of months, so getting stronger and getting back where he was before.”