In the Golf Paper
One win is not enough as Wilson looks to repeat his Dunhill heroics
Paul Mahoney speaks to Oliver Wilson
Tears are welling up in Oliver Wilson’s eyes. Looking back at his first professional victory at last year’s Dunhill Links Championship, Wilson’s emotions get the better of him. He recalls how special that victory was and how low he had felt during the lonely days of his slump that saw him fall from the top 10 in Europe and top 50 in the world, to world No.792.
Wilson held the commendable, yet unwanted, records of having finished runner-up nine times and winning the most money on the European Tour without a victory. That all changed at St Andrews last year when he held off Rory McIlroy to win for the first time in 228 attempts.
McIlroy was one of the first to congratulate him.
“I don’t think I could’ve chosen a better person to finish second to,” he tweeted. Ian Poulter followed. “Congrats mate, keeping the faith and never giving in. I can’t tell you how happy every player on tour will be. It’s been a long road back.”
Winning at the Home of Golf and holding off World No.1 Rory McIlroy was quite a Hollywood ending for the journey you’ve been on.
It was a fairy-tale. Walking up those last few holes was just incredible. They invited me to play and I wasn’t even sure I should accept or go to play in Rome on the Challenge Tour. I’d had enough of playing in small tournaments with no crowd. I wanted to get out there. It was a big buzz. That’s what I’d been missing. Getting the adrenaline going in a big atmosphere.
You let a lot of emotion out on the 18th green.
Yeah, there were a lot of tears. I was in bits. I couldn’t sign my card, couldn’t add it up. I was in the scorer’s hut for quite a while trying to compose myself. My wife was there too, which was special. I cried again in the car on the way to the airport. A crazy hour thinking: ‘Did that really happen?’
A great relief for you?
For the first time it made me feel I belonged. Having had nine runner-ups and playing in the Ryder Cup without winning, it feels, looking back, that I’ve done pretty well. But I’d like to do more.
What was the lowest point?
The absolute low was in 2013 on the Challenge Tour. I was missing cuts and shooting millions.
I just couldn’t hit a driver straight. I would tee up and not have a clue in which direction it would be going.
After four or five holes my tournament would be done, week after week after week.
I resorted to hitting my driver off the deck just to get it in play. I should have stepped away, but you always feel you are chasing something. I felt I was close all the time. In reality, I was nowhere.
When you play badly for so long, your confidence goes, then you question everything, and you are pulled in any direction if you find something that sticks even for a day. It’s a horrible, scary place to be. I was in a mess.
What was the turning point?
Robert Rock helped me dramatically with my swing. It all began to fall into place. I changed driver and swing and it helped me win the Dunhill. I’m eternally grateful for that. I was petrified of going back to Q School because I didn’t think I’d get through.
How bad did it get?
I thought of quitting at the end of 2013 and the start of 2014. I was spending a couple of grand a week on tournaments when I’d made a loss for the past 18 months. I’m fortunate I’ve made money in the past, but I was spending my reserves. I was thinking: ‘Am I willing to spend everything we’ve got to get my career back?
What was your Plan B?
I didn’t really have one. An option was to renovate and sell houses. I said to myself to give it until the end of the year. If I had gone to Q School and played badly, I would have been done.
Could you not see a way out?
The problem with golf is when you get in a rut you work harder and harder. I remember Paul McGinley saying he’d never seen anyone come out of a slump by practising harder. It’s not that black and white but it’s really hard to take time out. There is so much between the ears, too. I’ve never practised more than in the last few years and I got worse.
What was the worst thing about being in the doldrums?
The way people viewed me. It just sucked. I felt embarrassed and ashamed. You’d meet people and they’d say: ‘Oh, you’re a professional golfer. Are you any good?’ And you’d go: Nah. I’m actually rubbish. ‘Will I have heard of you?’ No.
How did that affect you as a person?
I’ve snapped clubs, thrown things, was probably hard to live with. I was angry. Tried to blame other people. But you’ve got nobody to blame but yourself, so I retreated into myself.
Do you worry that things might go wrong again?
I’m not nervous. I know better than anyone what can happen, but I know what I need to do to keep improving, to do the right things and get rid of the rubbish. I’ve pretty much tried everything that’s out there.
How do you feel now?
I feel I’m back on the main stage. I’ve fallen back in love with golf. I don’t particularly love the competition because I find it very stressful, but I love the whole thing that goes with it.
Now I can relate to winning, too. The feeling was incredible. I have more ammunition in my game now. More fire-power and experience to go further.
Do you feel the need to back up your victory?
It’s bizarre how quickly the feeling of victory leaves you behind. Next week there is another winner and everyone has already forgotten that you won the title at Dunhill.
I want to get that winning feeling back so badly. It was 25 years in the making!
