Joseph Hanko, the director of golf operations at Elm Lake Golf Course, is set to play in his first PGA Tour event this weekend.
Hanko will participate in the Sanderson Farms Championship from Thursday-Sunday in Jackson. He will tee off the first round at 9:01 a.m. Thursday on Hole No. 10.
“I’m just going to try to treat it like any other golf event, honestly,” Hanko told The Dispatch. “Easier said than done, but I literally have nothing to lose, and that’s what I need to remind myself of.”
Hanko earned an exemption into the event by virtue of winning the PGA 2021 Gulf States E-Z-GO Section Championship last September in Madison. He shot a 2-under 70 in the second and final round to take first place.
Hanko said he didn’t even realize he was on track to win until he looked at the leaderboard for the first time with two swings left to go on the final hole.
He said he adopted a different strategy when he went into Day 2 of the tournament at Annandale Golf Club knowing he’d need a strong round to achieve victory.
“For some reason, I played to win,” Hanko said. “I didn’t play just to play decent and get in the clubhouse. I was trying to win, which was honestly my first time experiencing that tactic. Even though that’s what we strive for, it was my first time actually doing it. It worked out. I won.”
Now, Hanko gets a taste of his first PGA Tour event. He said he’ll have 15 family members in attendance at the Country Club of Jackson.
Hanko said he’s excited to represent Columbus and Elm Lake, but it won’t be on his mind while he’s on the course.
“It’s going to mean a lot when it’s all said and done, but I’m going to try not to think about it right now a whole lot,” he said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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