Wilson wins as Appleby tumbles

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January 17, 2011

Mark Wilson won the Sony Open in Hawaii after two consistent rounds on Sunday rewarded him with a two-shot victory.

Mark Wilson claimed the Sony Open in Hawaii after two consistent rounds on the final day saw him finish two shots ahead of South African Tim Clark and fellow American Steve Marino and earn his place in this year’s Masters.
Wilson was in a three-way tie for second behind joint leaders Stuart Appleby and Shigeki Maruyama after day two of this rain-delayed event at the Waialae Country Club
However, the American fired five birdies for a 65 to move into the lead after Sunday morning’s third round with Appleby hitting a 69 for a three-way tie for third and Maruyama only managing a 70 to drop back to joint sixth.
Wilson then shot a 67 in Sunday afternoon’d final round, including three birdies, to finish at 16 under for the week.
It was necessary to play two rounds on Sunday, Thursday’s first round having been washed out by heavy rain which rendered the course unplayable on that day
The 36-year-old Wilson believes that having no wait between the final two rounds worked in his favour.
“It was nice to go right to the tee and not have to think about it,” Wilson said of having about six minutes between the third and fourth rounds.
“I’m thankful it’s over now.”
A mark of Wilson’s consistency on Sunday was that he did not hit a single bogey in the final two rounds and his great reward for it, besides his $990,000 first prize, was the fact that it earned him his first invite to this year’s Masters.
Neither of his previous victories – the 2007 Honda Classic and the 2009 Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico – yielded invitations to the Masters at Augusta National in Georgia.
Wilson’s last trip to the famed course was in 2001 – as a spectator.
“I get goose bumps thinking about it,” he said.
Clark made a last-round charge, but he had to be content with a 64, including seven birdies and a bogey, for a 14-under-par 26.
Marino also had his chances, but a bad break on the 18th hole where his eagle putt slid past the edgte of the hole for a 68.
Wilson had two putts for the win, but he needed only one, making the birdie putt from a few feet for his first victory since 2009 in Mexico.
Maruyama completed the competition in a tie for seventh after a final round 69 saw him finish on 11 under while Appleby had a poor evening, hitting three bogeys and just one birdie for a 72.
It saw the Australian tumble back into a seven-strong tie for 13th with a nine-under-par 271 alongside the likes of England’s Justin Rose, who finished as the leading European.