Joachim B Hansen is hoping home support will spur him to a successful week at the Copenhagen Challenge presented by Ejner Hessel from May 25-28.
The Dane’s last European Challenge Tour appearance on home soil was at the 2018 Made in Denmark Challenge at HimmerLand, where he clinched his second title of the season on his way to being crowned Challenge Tour Number One. Five years on, the two-time DP World Tour winner is back home and at a course he knows well.
The 2023 Copenhagen Challenge presented by Ejner Hessel takes place at Royal Golf Cub in Copenhagen. Hansen was in the field the last time the Challenge Tour event was held at the course in 2015, finishing in a share of 30th place, and he is aiming to use his local knowledge and home crowds to put on a show this week.
“It’s always fun and exciting to be playing on home soil in Denmark, especially this week when I can stay at home which is nice,” he said. “The last time I played a Challenge Tour event in Denmark was the 2018 Made in Denmark Challenge, where I had a really good week.
2018 Made in Denmark Challenge 🏆
— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) May 24, 2023
Joachim B Hansen is the most recent Danish Challenge Tour winner to triumph on home soil 🇩🇰 #CopenhagenChallenge pic.twitter.com/Bl2Gv2tYuY
“There will be a few friends and family coming out to watch which will be nice, I am looking forward to that. The support makes you want to play better and fight harder.
“Playing this golf course is always tricky because it’s a tough golf course and you need to stay patient and try and keep the ball in play.
“You’ve got to hit it straight. It looks like there’s going to be a bit more wind tomorrow and Friday, so it’s going to be even more difficult. I’ve played here quite a lot but I always struggle on it, but I like it because it is so demanding off the tee.
“I don’t think the winning score will be 20 under par this week, maybe only a single digit or around ten to 12 under par. So, it’s going to be a bit different from the last few weeks we’ve had on Tour.”
The 32-year-old has struggled with his game this season but feels his preparations over recent months have put him in a better position for the weeks ahead.
“I’ve done a lot of work on my ball striking over the last few months and tried to improve that because I haven’t had the best start to the season, but it’s getting better each day,” he said.
The opening round gets under way at 7:30am local time in Denmark, with Hansen teeing off alongside compatriot Benjamin Poke and Spain’s Ivan Cantero Gutierrez at 8:40am from the tenth tee.
