Hahn stays calm

Bryce Alderton

Day two of the weekend of a lifetime for Newport Beach Country Club

head golf professional Paul Hahn had its ups and downs, but at least

they were relaxing ups and downs.

Hahn, making his debut in a Champions Tour event after receiving a

sponsor’s exemption into this weekend’s Toshiba Senior Classic, shot

a 4-over-par 75 in Saturday’s second round to place him at 6-over for

the three-day tournament that concludes today.

After experiencing jitters at times during Friday’s first round,

Hahn said he was much more relaxed Saturday.

Part of that might have been due to his pairing.

The always-exuberant Chi Chi Rodriguez, along with John Mahaffey,

eased any anxiety Hahn could have felt.

“Starting out, I felt better than I did [Friday]. I wasn’t nervous

at all,” said Hahn, who has formed a friendly relationship with

Rodriguez in the last nine years NBCC has hosted the Toshiba. “Chi

Chi and John created a relaxed atmosphere. I had some swing issues

today.”

Two of Hahn’s three birdies came on the front nine -- on the par-5

third hole and the par-4 seventh -- which also included a double

bogey on the par-3 eighth.

“The pin was on the left [on No. 8] and I hit it left. I was in

jail, so I got what I deserved there,” Hahn said. “All my shots were

consistently left today. I wasn’t moving my lower body. Walking 18

holes the last two days is not what my legs are used to and made me

want to hit from the top.”

Hahn persevered, though, and found the fairway on Nos. 10, 12, 15,

16 and 18. He had a 10-foot eagle putt on the 15th, a 492-yard par-5.

“I knew the ball went to the right. It was a double-breaker,” Hahn

said of his putt on 15.

Hahn’s tee shot on the 185-yard, par-3 17th caromed off a ridge on

the left side of the green and trickled down to two feet from the

hole. A vocal ovation from spectators watching from the sky boxes

greeted Hahn as he marked his ball.

Then came a testy left-to-right downhill putt that Hahn hit

through the break.

“It was flat, I didn’t think it was going to break that much,”

Hahn said. “It did not take enough break. It was an absolute blast.”

Walking up the 18th fairway, Hahn quipped to a group of

spectators, “I know any one of you could have made that putt.” Hahn

said the greens are running faster this week than what he is used to.

“I’m afraid of stroking it past the hole,” Hahn said. “I’ve missed

so many short putts the last two days. I had three or four [Saturday]

that I was disappointed with.”

It was after a bogey at the 10th that Rodriguez approached Hahn

and gave him some encouraging words.

“As we walked to the 11th tee, [Rodriguez] told me how important

club pros are,” Hahn said. “You know he means it and it is nice to

hear.”

Rodriguez walked into Hahn’s office after shooting a 77 in last

year’s second round, ready to make a deal.

“[Rodriguez] wasn’t playing so well and he said, ‘I’ll trade you

my clubs for yours,’ ” Hahn said. “He left me his and off he went to

play with my clubs.”

“I borrowed them and never returned them,” said Rodriguez after

carding a 2-over 73 Saturday to leave him at 5-over for the

tournament. Rodriguez birdied three holes on the back nine, including

a 20-footer on the par-5 18th that was followed by his trademark

sword dance to an applauding gallery.

About 100 fans, including several Newport Beach Country Club

members, again followed Hahn and his caddie John Eller, a dentist

Hahn used to go to in his hometown of Paso Robles, Calif. Hahn’s wife

Marlene pushed the stroller where the couple’s daughter, Hayley, sat.

“The friends and family hooting and hollering makes it easy for

me,” Hahn said. “I’m a rock star for a day.”