Warrant Officer Paul Swansburg poses during a Longest Drive/ Closest to the Hole competition at the Cold Lake Golf and Winter Club at 4 Wing in 2021 – Photo by Mike Marshall / The Courier News
A 4 Wing-based Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) member is taking a swing at another golf championship this year.
Warrant Officer Paul Swansburg will head to the CAF Golf National Championship starting August 27th at CFB Borden. Swansburg, who works with the Wing Employment Training Office, had an excellent showing at the golf regionals held back in July at CFB Shilo, finishing second in the Men’s division.
“It was exciting to be back out and competing,” says Swansburg about his performance in the tournament. “It had been a while since we were able to do that. I didn’t feel I played my best. I was playing well off the tee but my short game wasn’t where I wanted it to be. I’m hoping at nationals my game will be sharper.”
Swansburg, who was born into a military family in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1991, says even though he’s had success on the links, golf wasn’t a passion until later in life.
“I wasn’t heavy into golf until I bought my first membership when I was 25. It wasn’t until the late 90’s that I started to take it up. Since then, I’ve been to quite a few regionals, maybe missing one or two.”
He is no stranger to the big stage when it comes to CAF golf championships, having played in at least five national championships before and winning in 2018. Swansburg says his plan for this year’s tournament is to keep things to what he’s always known.
“I’ve played Borden and I’m pretty familiar with the course. The game plan going in is preparation, including time out on the driving range, making sure my swing is consistent, and then working on my short game. I don’t want to do anything special, other than my routine.”
“You hope to go to these tournaments and play like you’re capable of. I’ve been to some where I didn’t perform as well as I could, whether it was nerves or experience. It takes time to build confidence in yourself and your game to deal with the stress put on you.”
When he’s not playing golf, Swansburg enjoys time with his family, including his wife Leanne and children Mitchell, Tyler, and Olivia. Joining him from 4 Wing will be Corporal Emily Fisher, who finished fourth in the regional championships and will serve as an alternate at the tournament.
The 2022 CAF Golf National championship is set to wrap up with the final round taking place on August 31st.