Posted on: Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Castle grad hopes to reverse his fortunes in the Sony Open
By Bill Kwon
Special to The Advertiser
As Hawai'i's only golfer on the PGA Tour until Parker McLachlin earned his 2007 playing card, Dean Wilson always had the pressure of doing well for the fans here in the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Advertiser library photo "There's always pressure to come here and perform well."
He missed the cut for the third time in five years in the PGA event at the Waialae Country Club last January. But he went on for a breakthrough season in 2006, winning The International for his first tour victory and earning a career-high $2.5 million to finish 22nd on the money list.
That qualified him for the winners-only Mercedes-Benz Championship last week at Kapalua, Maui, where he finished 29th, shooting 10-over 302 and earning $55,000. He shot 1-under 72 in each of the final two rounds.
Though disappointed by his performance at the Plantation Course, which he played for the first time, Wilson feels familiarity with Waialae will help him fare better this week.
"Hopefully, I can play well. I just want to play well and get in contention," he said.
Having broken through with a victory will also help, he added.
"Now that I did win, hopefully I can draw on it when I''m in position again."
Wilson's best showing was a tie for 23rd and a $33,714 paycheck in the first of his five previous Sony Open appearances in 2002. He also made the cut in 2005, finishing T76 and and earning $9,024. But he missed the cut in 2003-2004 and again last year.
He hopes it'll be a different story this year.
"I've struggled on that course in the past," said Wilson, a Kane'ohe native and Castle High School graduate.
Dean Wilson finally broke through with a PGA victory last year. Now, he hopes to do the same this week in the Sony Open in Hawai'i.
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| MEET DEAN
Height: 6-0 Weight: 175 Birthplace: Kane'ohe Turned Pro: 1992 PGA Tour victory: 1, 2006 The International International victories: 6, all in Japan. 2006 season Finished 22nd on PGA Tour money list with $2,509,857 ... In fourth full season and 119th start on Tour, earned first victory in a playoff over Tom Lehman at The International ($990,000) ... Posted a career-best six top-10s ... became first Hawai'i-born player to win on the PGA Tour since David Ishii, who won 1990 Hawaiian Open. Personal Played on Brigham Young golf team with fellow PGA member Mike Weir ... now lives in Las Vegas ... mother, Grace, started Dean golfing at age 13 at Pali Golf Course ... might be best known as Annika Sorenstam's playing partner in her historic appearance at the 2003 Bank of America Colonial. |
