DORAL, Fla. – Mark Wilson takes no delight in the slump Tiger Woods is enduring, but he says he’s enjoying seeing more tour pros getting to tell their stories in starring roles in telecasts of PGA Tour events.
Wilson, the only winner of two PGA Tour events this year, was No. 237 when he won the Sony Open in Hawaii. He’s one of seven players ranked No. 100 or higher to win this season.
“I think it’s exciting for the game of golf,” said Wilson, who leads the PGA Tour money list and the FedEx Cup standings. “There were many years there where it seemed like they just showed a few players on TV. I think now the general public is realizing there are many other stars out here.
“Being an underdog, I enjoy the underdog story. So to see a player like Jhonattan Vegas come off the Nationwide Tour and win his second tournament of the year, I think is really cool. I’ve always rooted for the underdog.”
Wilson arrives for the WGC-Cadillac Championship with some good feelings about Doral. As a rookie back in 2003, he tied for 12th on the Blue Monster in his fifth start.
“I was on cloud nine,” Wilson said. “It was my first best tournament as a rookie.”
The fact that Wilson’s serious about making a run this week is clear in the fact that he took the Honda Classic off last week. Wilson broke through for his first PGA Tour victory at PGA National in 2007.
“It was sad to skip Honda, and it was hard watching it on TV, but I needed the time off,” Wilson said. “I’m a little more rested. The rest worked for me before Phoenix and in Hawaii.”
