Wilson Speaks

Dean Wilson (click to enlarge)Some great questions and comments from the likeable Dean Wilson after his first round 64.

Q.  It seems like they've had a pretty healthy mix of guys who have won this thing from little guys like Corey Pavin, it doesn't seemingly exclude anybody?

DEAN WILSON:  Yes, I think that's one of the great things of a style course like this.  I like to see where guys can mix it up, where you might have a guy that's not so long going against a guy that hits it a long way versus some courses, like said, it's so long, it's tougher for the short hitter to compete because these guys are just getting up there and blasting it so far and the penalty for being a little off-line doesn't really matter.  

Q.  A couple of years ago, somebody could have made the exact same comments, saying it's tough to compete against a guy that's out there blasting 300.  When did 340 become part of the equation?

DEAN WILSON:  I guess when Bubba Watson joined the TOUR.  I played in the second last group in Phoenix and watching where John Holmes hitting it.  It's incredible just watching those guys hit the ball and how farther it's getting out there.  It's a different ball game.

And here's Dean Wilson telling a story about Steve Elkington and the use of the back No. 6 tee.

Q.  Dean, you talked about these guys hitting it far, but it seems also to be hitting it straight more often than not too, which is a little bit scary, isn't it?

DEAN WILSON:  Yes, exactly.  Bubba hit 11 of 14 fairways in the final round of Sony.  That's why he had a great round.  When you hit it that far  some of these courses, what they're doing to me, it seems like every time they make a change to a course, they're just adding new tees, making it longer and longer and longer and it's taking some guys out of the game.

And I kind of find it funny, saying they're Tiger proofing it.  They are just putting it right into his hands where it's tougher for a guy like me to compete against them.

I haven't played this course a lot, but coming out and playing practice rounds and seeing where some of the tees are, and hearing what  I played a practice round with Steve Elkington in that par3, on the front, (No.) 6.  The first thing he said, we went on the practice rounds, we always go to the back tees, we got to the back tees, and he said well this tee ruins the hole.  He said it used to be a great hole before.

Now we are sitting back there hitting 3 and 4irons just trying to get it in the safe part of the green rather than trying to take a chance at something.

So just stretching those courses out, just makes it  I don't think it makes it any better is what I'm saying.