Hahn crowns dream

Bryce Alderton

Score was irrelevant this week for Paul Hahn. He just wanted to soak

up every moment he could.

Mission accomplished.

Playing on his home course, the Newport Beach County Club head

golf professional capped the weekend of a lifetime in the final round

of the Toshiba Senior Classic Sunday.

Hahn, who turned 50 Feb. 11, received a sponsor’s exemption to

play in the Champions Tour event from tournament director Jeff Purser

and relished every putt and drive.

“I fulfilled the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Hahn after

carding a second straight 4-over-par 75 to finish the tournament at

10-over (223). “I’m not testing my game with these guys. I prepared

the best I could to play my first pro event and did the best I could.

I could not take it too seriously; just have fun.” For the second

straight day Hahn was paired with Chi Chi Rodriguez, whom Hahn has

grown to know quite well in the tournament’s 10-year history.

“I felt really well today,” Hahn said, despite battling a cold.

“Sometimes not feeling that great helps with the nerves.”

A massage and spending time in a spa after the second round

reinvigorated Hahn after he said his legs were gone Saturday.

Another gallery measuring close to 200 well-wishers that included

wife Marlene and daughter Hayley, along with parents Forest and Diane

Hahn, cheered Hahn.

They really roared when Hahn tallied one of his two birdies on the

492-yard par-5 15th.

Hahn left himself in an unenviable position after his third shot

-- a pitch that needed to clear a ridge on the green -- went a little

too far and rolled into the rough behind the flagstick.

Using a sand wedge, Hahn chipped out and found paydirt. The ball

one-hopped into the bottom of the cup and a sheepish grin came over

Hahn as he acknowledged the applauding spectators.

“I still don’t know how I went in,” Hahn said. “If it doesn’t

bounce in, it probably goes to the bottom of the green” Hahn also

birdied the par-4 12th.

Hahn found the green on the treacherous 185-yard par-3 17th for

the third straight day and had 14 feet with a slight right-to-left

break for birdie, but missed.

“I owned 17,” Hahn said. “On the first day I hit to eight feet,

then the next day hit to three feet. I’m sure a lot of the guys would

like to have all three shots I hit there.”

Hahn reached the par-5 18th green in three shots and two-putted

for par.

“I was never comfortable with the putter,” Hahn said. “I needed to

put backspin on the putter.”

Some pin placements -- characteristic of tournament golf -- were

foreign to Hahn.

“I had never seen some of those pin placements before,” Hahn said.

“On 16 it was four paces from the left front.”

Hahn said he consistently missed shots left, which is rare for

him.

“Usually I will hit it to the right if I am going to miss it,”

Hahn said. “I was working on my swing the whole week, but I wasn’t

comfortable with one facet of the swing.

“But what do I need to work on it for? It’s back to work next

week.”

For the past week, though, Hahn lived the life of a tour pro.

“It’s been cool,” Hahn said. “It’s like sitting in the stands at a

basketball game and saying, ‘I could have made that layup.’ How many

times do you actually get a shot like that? I am out of my element,

but yet I’m in my element because this is my course. It is a

double-edged sword.

“It was the time of my life. How many people would trade places

with you?”