At two years old–not long after he learned to walk – Connor Hanska learned to swing a golf club.
The 9-year-old athlete from the Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation in southern Manitoba recently returned from the Champion of Champions World Championship in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.
The young golfer said he practices “almost every single day”.
“My favourite part is that it’s just fun playing hole after hole,” Connor said.
The tournament brought 250 of the world’s best junior golfers from over 40 countries to the Lough Erne Resort at the end of July.
“There are thousands of kids that compete for those spots every year, so for him to be one was just really amazing,” his father, Doug Hanska said over Zoom.
At the end of the three-day world championship, Connor scored 10th in his age category.
“To place top ten, for us as parents, it’s pretty surreal,” his father Doug Hanska said. “We’re still taking it in and trying to process it here, and [to] him, you know, it’s just another round.”
Raising a prodigy
Doug Hanska said Connor inherited his love for golf from a young age.
“I myself used to play competitive golf within Golf Manitoba,” Doug said over Zoom. “He kind of grew up on the golf course.”
It didn’t take long for his dad and fellow golfers at the Oak Island Resort to realize they had a prodigy on their turf.
“I didn’t even realize how good he was until the guys were like, wow, you know, you might have the next Tiger Woods on your hands there,” Doug said. “Even as a six-year-old, he qualified for the Canadian Golf Nationals.”
“That’s when we realized, well, hey, he’s pretty special on the greens.”
Leading up to the tournament in Northern Ireland, the course became a second home.
A local and online sensation
With over 3,000 followers on TikTok, Connor has attracted a global fanbase.
After qualifying for the Champion of Champions tournament, sponsors eagerly supported him.
“We had multiple organizations reach out to us, and they wanted to help him with his journey,” Doug said. “It just was like a ripple effect.”
At home in Birdtail Sioux, he’s become a local celebrity.
“My mom picked us up from the airport and was bringing us home, and she stopped at the local ice cream shop,” Doug said. “Even there, people recognized him right on the spot and were like, ‘hey, weren’t you supposed to be in Ireland?’, and started asking him about his trip.”
Aside from his stellar swing, Connor’s positive attitude keeps him grounded on the green.
“His sportsmanship, it’s the highest I’ve seen out there,” Doug said. “Win or lose, he’s always encouraging kids to try their best.”
When asked what advice he’d give to aspiring golfers, Connor kept it simple.
“Keep your head up,” he said.
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