Willie Wood earned his second career Champions Tour win and his second win of 2012 on Sunday in the Pacific Links Hawaii Championship. Bill Glasson had played very well during the week and Wood knew that he needed to go low and limit his mistakes in the final round. The course played the same way over all three days and he also knew that he would need some help from Glasson if he were to win. Everything fell into place and he was able to take advantage of the opportunity he had to win.
The putt he had at 18 was downhill with very little break and apparently he began his fist pump when the ball was halfway to the hole although he does not recall celebrating that early. He could see a leaderboard so he knew that he had to make the putt to win. Fortunately he has been putting well all summer so he had confidence that he would be able to make the putt which made the experience a lot easier to handle.
He was a Monday qualifier for the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open which he went on to win and he followed that win with a third place finish. Now that he has won a second time, his place on the Champions Tour is secure and it is a wonderful feeling especially considering the road he has had to take. He did not play as well as he felt he could have on the PGA TOUR so now that he is on the Champions Tour, he wanted to bring a positive attitude because he knew that the road would be difficult. He began playing well in June of this year and as he started playing better, his confidence has continued to increase.
It is very nice to be able to have a week off after winning because he will be able to sit and digest this great moment. After he won the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in New York, he had to fly to Seattle for the next event and with all of the media responsibilities following his win along with his tournament prep, he did not have a chance to really enjoy his first win.
