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But that has been the story of his career since turning pro in 1997. Every year since, he has made the trek to that unholy of holy events on the PGA Tour, Q-school. In the beginning it was a struggle as he didn't get through the first five schools which meant he would have to find someplace else to play In the late 90s it was the Hooters Tour were he won three times. From there it was off to play on the Australian Tour, then after five years of failure, Wilson had limited succes starting in the 2001 Q-school. He finished T54th, not good enough to get his PGA Tour card but good enough for a ticket to the Nationwide Tour. Things didn't go that well in 23 events, he only broke the top-ten once, finishing T8th at the SAS Carolina Classic. But for the year his earnings of $31,312 meant finishing 111th on the money list and another trip to Q-school.
In the 2002 school things were much better as he finished T17th which meant he got his PGA Tour card for 2003. Despite having his card only earned $482,502 and finished terribly which placed him 128th out. Again, that meant another visit to Q-School and again he regained his card but but this became a cycle in playing on the PGA Tour and going back to Q-school.
This week was his his 111th start on the PGA Tour. Before this week he has only finished in the top-ten six times. His last top-ten was in last year's Chrysler Classic at Tucson. His best finish is T3rd in the 2005 Valero Texas Open. As for contending in a tour event, he has gone into the final round within five of the lead six times and led once, after shooting a 64 in the first round of last year's Chrysler Classic of Tucson.
But getting into the heat of battle in which a tournament was on the line, this was the first time for Wilson on the PGA Tour. By the reaction things couldn't of turned out better for him.
As for the future, the first thing that has sunk in is the fact that for the first time in ten years he won't have to go back to Q-school. Wilson also now has the luxury of making his own schedule, he won't have to be at the mercy of tournament directors or the bottom of tournament list's because of his ranking at Q-school.
Keys to victory for Wilson
One of the important things that happened to Wilson was on the 5th tee on Friday. While playing with Camilo Villegas, Wilson hit first on the par 3. After the shot Villegas asked his caddie what Wilson hit and unfortunely Wilson's caddie said it was a "18-degree hybrid. At that moment Wilson knew that his caddie had violated a rule of golf and after consulting with rules officials knew he had a two shot penalty for his caddies wrong doing. But after he was accessed the penalty, he had a different feeling one in which he didn't feel sorry for himself but drew strength from the incident. As he said on Monday after his win, from there on out he played some of the best golf in his life.
At the time of the incident Wilson was one over par. He played the remaining 13 holes in five under par and then played in six under on Saturday, again making a positive out of a negative.
Here are some other keys for his victory:
- Wilson never gave up and in the course of the final round he made 15 of 16 putts of 10 feet and in.
- More importantly is what he did in making more clutch putts down the stretch than any other winner this year. Here s a look at what I mean:
14th hole made a 8 footer for par
16th hole made a 47 footer for par
18th made a 7 footer for par
1st hole of playoff, after driving in hazard, made 30 footer for par
3rd playoff hole made 8 footer for birdie and win
Wilson's stats (with rank in parentheses):
Fairways hit: 36 of 56 ..... (19th) Driving average: 289.7 ..... (42nd) Greens hit: 48 of 72 ....... (T19th) Putts: 113 (28.25 a rd) .... (T21st) Putting breakdown: 0-putt greens: 0 1-putt greens: 32 2-putt greens: 39 3-putt greens: 1 Play on par 3s: 1 over Play on par 4s: -4 Play on par 5s: -2 Eagles: 1 Birdies: 16 ................ (T4th) Scrambling: 14 of 24 (58.33%)... (T28th)
Scrambling measures how many times a player gets up and down for par or better on the holes where he missed the green in regulation.
What This Win means for Wilson
- Wilson was the 11th first time winner at the Honda Classic since it was first played in 1972.
- Records the 200th victory on the PGA Tour by a Nationwide Tour alum.
- Earns an invitation to the 2007 Players Championship, PGA Championship, World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and a trip to Kapalua next year for the Mercedes Championship.
- He climbs 179 places in the official World Rankings to 86th and with three weeks left in qualifying for the Masters, if he can find his way into the top-50 will get to play in that event. It would be only his second start in a major championship, Wilson missed the cut in the 1998 U.S. Open.
Why Weekley, Coceres and Villegas lost
Of course the other three players in the playoff will look back and wonder what they could of done differently to win the playoff. It wasn't a case of someone playing well to win, it was survivor of the fittest. In any case the one that has to be kicking himself the most was Boo Weekley. We all know is story, the 33-year-old tobacco chewing smalltown boy from the Florida Panhandle, had a chance to win it outright with a par on the 18th hole, but three-putted for a bogey from 35 feet, missing from just 39 inches on his second putt. He settled for a final-round 70.
Despite that for Weekley it was his best week ever on tour. This was his 31st start on the PGA Tour and only the ninth time he made the cut. Last week in Mexico was the first time he finished inside the top-20, with a 6th place finish.
Another that will be kicking himself is Jose Coceres who shot a 66, making his move early on Sunday with birdies on the first five holes. Still he was inside of Wilson on the third playoff hole and if he could of made his putt would of extended the playoff. On another note, Coceres has to be wondering what would of happened if Wilson would of missed his birdie putt, leaving Coceres with the chance of victory. Still after his broken arm while playing Soccer in last 2001 it's been a long journey back into golf. One thing that Coceres has to think of, he is the first person since 2002 to play in back to back events and lose them in a playoff. David Toms had that honor when he lost the 2001 Tour Championship in a playoff, then lost the 2002 Mercedes Championship again in a playoff.
Lastly Camilo Villegas came into the playoff as the only player with a strong finish and looking like a winner. The 25-year-old Colombian made birdies at 16 and 17, then got it up and down for par at 18 to shoot 66. You have to wonder if that playoff would of continued on Sunday if Villegas would of been in better shape.
