Peter Hanson showed incredible mental strength to remain in contention at the KLM Open, after a traumatic 24 hours almost led to him pulling out of the event.
Hanson’s one-year-old son Tim was hospitalised with a respiratory virus on Saturday evening.
As a result, the Swede was up throughout the night in Hilversum, yet somehow managed to put the trauma to one side with a third round 67 that left him one shot off the lead.
“It was a bit of a different day today,” Hanson explained after finishing up with back to back birdies.
“My son was taken into hospital yesterday, so it was hard to keep my mind on golf.
“It looks like he is alright but he is one and a half years old so you just want to go back home.
“He has got an RS virus, which is dangerous when you are a kid.
“He has been ill for a couple of days. They took him in yesterday. It goes down to the lungs; they help him to breath and have put a drip in his arm.”
Hanson was given permission to use his phone on the course, in order to receive updates on his son’s condition.
He added: “I have just spoken to my wife and I actually asked (referee) Andy McFee if I could text my wife during the round. I’ve been on the phone pretty much all day.
“I spoke to her from 11pm last night until 5am this morning, every hour getting updates.
“That was more important. I had a flight booked this morning to go back home, but my wife told me to stay here, which is probably a good thing. I called her and it looks like he is getting better and better.”
Asked for his thoughts on his round, Hanson responded: “I tried to hang in there and focus on what I was doing at the time, but my mind was wandering on and off.
“The finish was the key. To get within one shot on a jammed-up leaderboard (four players currently share first place) gives me a chance, and a good round tomorrow might just do the trick.”
