Posted on Monday, August 20, 2012 12:35 am by Bill Rand.
A Texan by birth and a Louisianan growing up, Wood was a national junior champion as a teen and the world’s No.
Golf is a game where you have to concentrate, and after Holly died, Willie just couldn’t do that. But for one brief period Willie fulfilled the promise many thought he had when he began his career in the 1980’s.“He’s a good guy, well respected by his peers, who has had tragedy in his life, but who had lots of people rooting for him today,” said Brandel Chamblee. Out of that a pro has to pay for hotels, air fare, meals and caddy fees. Because in addition to the hefty prize money he was fully exempt on the Champions Tour for the next twelve months.“No more Monday qualifying,” Willie told David Marr.
They can enter any tournament they wish.
There in the last group, only one stroke out of the lead was 51-year-old Willie Wood. Needing a golf fix, any fix, I switched to the the Dick’s Sporting Goods Classic on the Champion’s Tour. Utilized his T2 finish at the 2015 National Qualifying Tournament to play nearly a full schedule in 2016 and finish 43rd on the final money list, a jump of 22 places from his previous season.Had just one top-10 finish in 24 starts and finished 51st on the money list.Dropped from 15th in 2012 to 42nd on the final money list. Manage Profile
Diana introduced us one year at the Crosby Tournament at Pebble Beach in which Willie was playing.
When this happens the players who are tied go into a sudden death playoff. In order to earn playing privileges on the pro tour, he entered the 1983 PGA Qualifying Tournament, aka “Q” school, which consisted of two sectional qualifying tournaments followed by a grueling, six-day, 108-hole competition that most pros describe with terms like “gut wrenching” and “hell week.” Willie not only qualified, he shot the low score of the week. Willie Wood talks to John Swantek on June 25, 2014 Mark Calcavecchia and Wes Short Jr. share the lead at Principal Charity Round 1 Recap: 2013 Montreal Championship She died ten months later.
After turning 50 in late 2010, Wood played his first Champion Tour event, the AT&T Championship, where he finished T13.
In 1990 he tied for first with Joey Sindelar at a tournament known then as the Hardee’s classic. To watch in a smaller size, scroll down while your video is playing.Did you know you can save your preferences across all your digital devices and platforms simply by creating a profile? On the first playoff hole, Willie hit a shot to the green that as I recall hit a metal lawn sprinkler head and went flying wildly away from the hole, costing him the playoff.I remember later in the 90’s he was in contention on Saturday at a tournament in Hartford but played himself out of contention by finishing that day with several disastrous holes.Willie won just under $2.8 million in prize money from the mid-1980’s to the late 1990’s, which to be honest, isn’t much. At the time the couple had two infant children. “Go!” I shouted. Also strung together a stretch of 212 holes without a three-putt during the year.Made seven starts, with his best showing a T29 at the U.S. Senior Open in Toledo.Split time between PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour. The treatment was expensive, so in January Willie headed back to the tour to earn some money. Finished No. I got this sinking feeling that Lucy was going to pull the football away again. When he was out of town, Holly’s parents took care of the kids.By the following June Willie knew Holly wasn’t going to make it. The longer hitters, like Freddy Couples, can still pound the ball 300 yards or more off the tee.Surprise, surprise! Reeled off a Champions Tour season-best of 25 consecutive rounds of par or better (late May-early October). Just when I thought Willie was going to make a breakthrough, he would disappoint.