Amid the commotion surrounding the ninth green following Dean Wilson’s electric final shot, a volunteer voiced an old golf saying that rarely seemed more applicable.
"That’s the shot that brings you back."
Wilson will indeed be back at Waialae Country Club today for the third round of the Sony Open in Hawaii, thanks to that fateful last swing on Friday.
Teetering one stroke off the cut line, Wilson stepped up to his ball 59 yards in front of the green, needing to get up and down for birdie to give himself a shot at playing on the weekend.
He eased the club back and through, sending the ball on a gentle arc toward the pin.
The ball landed softly, rolled toward the cup, and dropped out of sight.
"It’s the perfect scenario, right? Last hole, make the cut," Wilson said. "Pretty exciting stuff."
Was it ever.
Wilson’s eagle at the par 5 — a dramatic conclusion to a round of 2-under-par 68 — pushed him safely over the cut line at 3 under for the tournament. The Castle High graduate, who was granted a sponsor’s exemption into the tournament, enters the third round tied for 44th and will be the lone local representative playing the final two rounds.
"I’m just happy to get a tee time to be able to play," Wilson said, still absorbing the moment just outside the scoring trailer.
Prior to the final-hole heroics, Wilson spent most of the afternoon grinding out 12 straight pars while tight-roping along the cut line.
"I played good, I hit the ball well, and it’s just tough for me to make putts out here," Wilson said. "It’s just always been tough for me to putt here. I hit a lot of good putts; they just didn’t go in."
He slipped back to even par with a bogey on No. 4, his 13th hole of the day. As he finished up another par on the sixth green, the portable message board flashed that the projected cut had moved to 2 under as of 3:34 p.m.
"I knew the cut was going to be either 1 or 2 (under), so I had to give myself a chance," Wilson said. "I knew (No. 9) was an easier birdie hole, so I knew I had to get at least one coming in and just couldn’t get any of them to drop.
"After three-putting on four I was really behind the eight-ball, but I knew I could do it if I just kept giving myself chances."
Wilson, who hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation, converted a birdie opportunity on No. 7 when he drained a putt of about 10 feet to get back to 1 under. He parred No. 8 and went to the ninth needing a birdie to stick around. That task got more difficult after his drive drifted into a fairway bunker, taking away the possibility of getting to the green in two.
"So just do my best to lay it up and see if I can get it close," Wilson said.
He did better than that and sent a charge through the fans gathered around the green, with several rushing over to congratulate his mother, Grace, with a hug as Wilson celebrated his with caddie, Dr. Carl Ho.
"I’ve got another two rounds to play, so I’m ready to go," Wilson said.
Wilson was the lone member of the trio of Hawaii golfers to make the cut.
Kalani senior Richard Hattori officially closed his first round on Friday morning after having his round suspended by darkness on Thursday. He missed a 15-foot eagle putt on No. 9 and his birdie sent him into the second round at 1 over. Hattori then shot a 4-over 74 to close an educational two-day run at Waialae.
"(I) learned a lot, so much I can’t really explain it. It was a good experience," Hattori said.
Waialae head pro Kevin Carll also had a rousing end to his second round and closed the tournament at 4 over. Carll finished on No. 9 and put his second shot inside of 7 feet from the hole. He made the putt for eagle to finish out a 68, playing his final seven holes at 4 under.
