Elmhurst's Wilson Mastering PGA Tour

Back in grade school, professional golfer and Elmhurst resident Mark Wilson already was following the Masters Tournament.

"I vividly recall the 1987 Masters and running into the kitchen to tell my mom how Greg Norman was going to win and then being disappointed when Larry Mize chipped in on him," Wilson said. "Since then, I have gotten to know Larry Mize and I am thrilled that he actually won that one."

Now it's time for Wilson to make his own memories at the Masters April 7-11 at Augusta (Ga.) National Golf Club. Wilson, 36, earned his chance to compete for the first time by winning the Sony Open Jan. 13-16 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii—his first tournament of this Professional Golfers Association Tour season—with a 16-under-par 264 to prevail by two strokes.

"Qualifying for (the Masters) means that I can test my game against the best players in the game on one of the best venues in golf," Wilson said. "Not only will (my wife) Amy and my kids (sons Lane and Cole) be there, my parents, her parents, our siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, you name it will be there at some point during the week."

Wilson won the Sony Open in remarkable fashion and hasn't looked back. After two tournament victories over the previous four years, Wilson won already his second tournament this season two starts later at the Waste Management Phoenix Open Feb. 7 in Scottsdale, Ariz., with a 9-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole.

Wilson currently is No. 53 in the 2011 PGA Tour Official World Golf Ranking after finishing 2010 at No. 234. He is in action this week at the Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz., as the No. 13 seed in the Sam Snead bracket, one of four 16-player brackets. He won his opening match Wednesday by upsetting No. 4-seed Dustin Johnson in 19 holes.

"I haven't been a very fast starter, but this year I was really excited to get going on the PGA Tour," Wilson said. "That fire has really paid off with two wins, taking advantage of the opportunity in Hawaii and Phoenix to get the job done."

The Sony Open victory was special in many ways. Because Thursday's first round was postponed by bad weather, the final two of the four rounds were played back-to-back on Sunday, an added challenge especially so early in the season.

With barely enough time between his Sunday rounds to eat a chicken sandwich and grab golf balls from his locker, Wilson rose to the occasion. He held onto his lead and won by two strokes by going 8-under-par over those 36 holes with no bogeys. Going back to Saturday, he had no bogeys over his final 40 holes.

"No bogeys that (final) day really stands out, but without the eight birdies I made, it wouldn't have mattered," Wilson said. "No matter how well I am playing, there are always going to be some challenges to save par. I am not caught up on making a perfect swing, but instead simply on getting the ball in the hole as quickly as possible."

The victory also was the first time Amy was there to share in the victory. Wilson said his wife and sons travel with him about 80 percent of the time, but Amy missed the previous two victories at the 2007 Honda Classic and the 2009 Mayakoba Golf Classic. The entire family was on hand for the triumph in Scottsdale.

"The only sad part about it was that because the tournament ended in a playoff on the 10th hole of the golf course, my oldest boy (Lane) couldn't run out on the green and give me a big hug," Wilson said. "Amy does a great job behind the scenes of making sure the boys are taken care of and has dinner cooked for me. We balance each other out very good."

Wilson is a native of Menomonee Falls, Wis., a suburb of Milwaukee. The Wilsons have lived in Elmhurst since May 2006. They became interested in the area after friends moved to Elmhurst in 2004. Wilson thinks that remaining in the Midwest and living in wintry conditions gives him a chance to re-energize his game.

"When we decided to leave Chicago for the suburbs, we looked heavily in Elmhurst and fell in love with a house that we felt we had to have. It all happened very fast," Wilson said. "Mentally, this game will wear you out so in November and December, I am thrilled not to hit any balls, roll any putts. Instead, I focus on my fitness and get two or three good workouts in a week and concentrate on having fun at home with the family."

There's still plenty of Wisconsin in Wilson. He remains a fan of the Green Bay Packers and he let it be known during the Waste Management Open, which coincided with Super Bowl Sunday.

He and caddie Chris Jones wore cheesehead hats as they walked onto the green of the noisy 16th hole, and Wilson switched to a visor in the Packers' green and gold colors while putting. His viewing of the Packers' 31-25 Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers was limited by a late round and then spending time playing with his children.

"I caught the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl and watched the Packers hold on," Wilson said. "I wasn't able to see much of the (NFL) playoffs this year."

Wilson's competitive debut will be his fourth trip to the Masters and his first since 2001. He first went with his father, Les, in 1989 to watch a Monday practice round. The last two times he snuck over for practice rounds while competing on the mini-tour.

Wilson's 2007 victory at the Honda Classic came just before the criteria was changed by Augusta National to invite most PGA Tour winners to the Masters. The Mayakoba Classic victory in Cancun, Mexico, did not qualify him because it was an opposite-field event, taking place at the same time as a major PGA tournament.

Wilson will approach the Masters with no specific goals. Before he competes, Wilson expects to have plenty of fun with his family during the Wednesday's par-3 tournament on Augusta's beautiful 9-hole course. Most players have their wives or fathers as caddies.

"Then the young kids get involved, too, and run on the greens and putt out for their dads. The cameras in my family are going to be snapping like crazy," Wilson said.

"I don't really set goals because I don't want to limit myself. I take each day as it comes and enjoy the journey. My main goal is to keep my attitude the same, regardless of what I shoot. I think that would make God proud."