Hanson’s Back To Lpga Grind With Plenty Of Rest Mixed In, Twin Lakes Tourist Confident

Tracy Hanson’s chronic back problems forced her to do three things this winter:

Take time off from golf, lift weights and swing lighter clubs upon returning to the game.

The LPGA Tour pro from Twin Lakes, Idaho, was threatening to finish among the top 20 money winners in 1996 when her balky back intervened late in the season.

It’s one thing to play football in pain, quite another to maintain tempo and a fluid golf swing.

She is healthy now, though she’s not pushing matters. She has played in one LPGA event of the new season and didn’t make the cut. She took last weekend off. She’ll play this week in Florida, then take nearly a month off.

“It’s been doing much better,” she said of her back by telephone from Ormond Beach, Fla. “I can play and do my normal activities without any pain, but I’m still kind of taking it slow.

“I’ve got 23 tournaments on my schedule. I’ve got it mapped out that usually I’ll play three in a row then take a week or two off.”

Hanson’s back problems started in 1993 with surgery on a herniated disc. Last year she was bothered by back spasms she believes are related to the original injury.

She took a three-month, golf-free respite leading up to this season, which rested her ailing back and allowed her “de-stress myself.”

Instead of picking up a club, she tossed around weights, building up her back and other major muscle groups. She also spent time walking the beach, reading, and spending time with her fiancee and other friends.

Hanson began practicing after Christmas. She has developed a pre-round routine that includes 30 minutes of stretching and roughly 45 minutes of putting, chipping and driving.

Understandably, she’s still regaining the touch on “touch” shots - pesky chips and shots near the greens.

“I’ve hit it pretty decent, but once you get in tournament play and more pressure, that’s when the rust comes out,” Hanson said.

Hanson still swings clubs made by Hayden-based Henry Griffitts, but she’s opted for titanium shafts because they’re a tad lighter than the shafts on her previous clubs.

Hanson, if healthy, could be primed for a big year. She came close to landing her first tour victory last year and finished tied for 10th at the Nabisco Dinah Shore, an LPGA major.

She made a sizable jump from 1995 to 1996. Her stroke average dropped by nearly a half a shot per round. That may not sound like much, but it was the difference between 18 rungs on the money list. A similar jump could land her in the top 10 in earnings and in the winners’ circle.

By finishing 33rd in earnings last year, she has a two-year LPGA exemption.

“My goal, No. 1, is to win an event this year, and No. 2, is to have fun and give myself the best possible chance to win,” she said.

To do so, she’s trying to develop more accuracy off the tee and shave a putt or two off every round (what golfer isn’t?).

“The Tour gets better every year, with the younger players coming up through college,” said Hanson, sounding like a grizzled veteran, though not meaning to. “Definitely, the more times I get in the hunt to win, the better I’m going to be the next time. And one of these times, I’m going to get all the way through.”

Back willing, she has the ability to back up that statement.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: TRACY HANSON IN ‘96 1996 Stats (tour rank in parenthesis): Rounds under par/total: 33 of 76 (22). Rounds in 60s: 15 of 76 (20). Greens in regulation: 867 of 1,296 (29). Driving accuracy: 631 of 1,008 (142). Avg. putts per round: 30.22 (42). Sand saves: 31 of 76 (81). Avg. driving distance: 238.09 (53).