SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — With the Sanford International just a couple of days away, one local golfer is getting his final preparation in before hitting the first tee box Friday.
After weeks of playing tournaments all around the country, Ryan Jansa is looking forward to the chance to play in front of the hometown crowd in Sioux Falls.
“I’m looking forward to just putting on a good show,” Jansa said. “For me, how would I label it a success? If I can go out there, represent myself well, and have everybody in town feel like I did a good job.”
The mortgage lender is playing a familiar course at Minnehaha Country Club but knows with the talent of his competition, it will be a tough week.
“A lot of these guys have been around it now maybe four or five years so they got 15, 20 rounds in,” Jansa said. “As good as they are, I mean, they’re the best in the world between them and their caddies. I’m sure they got it pretty well figured out by now. And based on the scores that they’ve been shooting, they definitely have it figured out. So I’m not sure that I have a huge competitive advantage.”
Jansa will join his father in the the South Dakota golf hall of fame, when he’s inducted alongside his wife Julie on Thursday as part of the week-long festivities.
“I’m just blessed on multiple levels to be going in with her, to be joining my dad,” Jansa said. “It’s going to be a very special week for everybody.”
With all the weeks of preparation leading up to the Sanford International as well as the pomp and circumstance of this week, Jansa is finally just looking forward to hitting the course on Friday.
“When the gun finally goes off on Friday, there’s going to be some relief, honestly, to me, because I’m going to be back in an element that I’m comfortable with,” Jansa said. “This part of it, the lead up and the things that are a little bit different, that’s definitely going to be different, but golf is golf.”
The tournament begins Friday and runs through Sunday. We will have highlights of all three rounds on KELO-TV.
