Castle grad Dean Wilson joins the Tiger hunt
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By Bill Kwon
Special to The Advertiser
There's Tiger Woods against 155 other guys contending for the championship of the 101st U.S. Open.
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One of the "other guys" will get the full attention of Hawai'i golf fans. He is Dean Wilson, a Kane'ohe native and 1987 Castle High graduate who plays on the Japan PGA Tour. He qualified for the U.S. Open by shooting a 138 in the sectional qualifying at Columbus, Ohio, last week.
Kane'ohe native Dean Wilson plays on the Japan PGA Tour and won its championship last month.
Playing the first two rounds with Jess Daley and George Frakes, Wilson probably will find himself in one of the least followed groups. But he doesn't mind.
For one, his mom, Grace, and older brother, Kess, will be following him. Also, it's because he made it to the U.S. Open — America's national golf championship.
"It's my first U.S. Open, so it's exciting," said Wilson, 31, who became only the sixth non-Japanese to win the Japan PGA Championship last month. It is considered one of that tour's majors.
His goal this week?
"I have no expectations. Just try and shoot good scores," said Wilson, a 1992 Brigham Young graduate, who now lives in Provo, Utah.
A break in the JPGA Tour schedule enabled Wilson to attempt and successfully qualify for this year's U.S. Open.
"It had always conflicted with my schedule," said Wilson, the 2000 JPGA Rookie of the Year. Wilson's only other attempt at qualifying for the U.S. Open came in 1993, but he missed the cut.
"I don't think I have reached the peak of my game yet," Wilson said.
He's honing it on the JPGA, but he'd like to give the American tour a shot.
"The only way is if I win a PGA event, the U.S. Open or make it in qualifying school," said Wilson, who has tried three times to get his Q-School playing card. "Otherwise, I go back to Japan."
But with a five-year exemption for winning the Japan PGA Championship, returning there isn't too bad an option after years of struggling on the Canadian, Australia and Asian tours.
