July 29, 2004

By Kevin Hall The Lantern

COLUMBUS, Ohio (U-WIRE) - After dotting all the I's and crossing the T's in one of the most decorated careers in Ohio State women golf history, Allison Hanna is ready for the next challenge in her life - playing professional golf.

In Hanna's tremendous career, she garneredseveral top honors, not only in the Big Ten but nationally. When asked to reflect on her career at Ohio State, her answer didn't surprise many but proved the resiliency of the level of determination Hanna posses.

"College was a lot of fun, having my teammates there to support me through the good and the bad," Hanna said. "My first year, I came in and didn't really know that much about the game. Coach taught me so much about how to manage myself on the course and how to control my scores. I became a lot more consistent player as my short game got better. By my senior year, if I didn't shoot par or better, I was mad. I had come a long way from averaging in the mid 70s."

Hanna's dream of playing golf for a living came to fruition as she earned a position as first alternate to the 2003 Women's US Open. There she had a chance to see the swings of the best women golfers in the world, which didn't intimidate her. She said that seeing their swings and their games only proved to her that they weren't much different than her own. As a full-time professional now, her feelings have not changed.

"The feeling has definitely improved," Hanna said. "I have the game to play out here. It's just a matter of getting out on the tour. There are only a few ways to qualify. I have to stay focused on what I need to do and not get sidetracked. Keeping a positive attitude is really important, too."

In college golf, the players had it made, she said: They didn't have to worry about scheduling tournaments, reserving hotel rooms, paying for food or traveling. They often times got free equipment. Essentially, all they were responsible for was getting themselves mentally and physically prepared to play. For Hanna, it is a completely different world for her as a professional.

"You have to make your own travel plans," she said. "You have to deal with the business side of things. I get to make my own schedule now. In college you stuck with your teammates, and they were a support system. Now you make friends and play against friends. It's a little different. Not having your coach around all the time to check up on your mechanics is different, too."

Now Hanna doesn't have to worry about a paper, presentation, midterm or final or about being late for a group project meeting. She gets to immerse golf into her schedule as much as she wants, and her day starts and ends with golf with time on her side.

"I can devote all day to golf. Practice, workouts, business or whatever I need to do to compete at my highest level," Hanna said. "I usually wake up for a run, then I get out to the course, practice, then play, then practice some more."

Brittany Adams is among the people awed at Hanna's desire to succeed in life.

"Of all the girls on the team, Allison worked at her game the hardest," said Adams, a junior on the OSU women golf team. "No one ever had to tell her what she had to do or to work on to be good. She just knew. She made sure that lack of practice would never be a fault in her golf game."

Listening to Hanna talk, it sounds like everything in the world comes with a price - the little things that are a constant reminder saying life is not easy.

"Living out of your car and not having a permanent place to keep your stuff is hard," Hanna said.

When students makes the transition from college to the real world, lessons are bound to be learned. Hanna quickly learned what it takes to compete at her highest level possible.

"I learned when to take a break," Hanna explained. "Your mind needs some rest mentally every once in a while. The better shape you are in, the easier it is to travel around and stay healthy."

To many people, Hanna is a perfect example of what motivation, determination and hard work can result in. From a squeaky little freshman with dreams to a full-time professional chasing after her ultimate goal to make the LPGA and win on the tour, the golf world can expect to hear a lot more about Hanna in the future.

"If you love the game of golf, pursue your dream," Hanna said. "It can be very rewarding, but it is a lot of hard work, and the mini-tours are not that glamorous. The LPGA is a different story. Dream big and work hard."

(C) 2004 The Lantern via U-WIRE.