David Taylor reflects on Oliver Wilson’s victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship – a feel-good story we can all take inspiration from
The golf headlines usually die down in the weeks following the Ryder Cup but the Lazarus-style comeback that Oliver Wilson had over the weekend has given the game a few more days of exposure.
It all looked so easy for Wilson in 2008 when he registered four second places, the closest ending in defeat to Miguel Angel Jiménez in a play-off at the BMW PGA Championship.
He had considered quitting the game for good earlier this year but a sponsor’s invite to the Dunhill Championship has now resurrected his career.
As well as the trophy he pocketed £489,416 and rocketed himself up to 39th in the Race to Dubai.
Compare this to his last outing in September – where he earned just over £1,500 for a tied 47th finish at the Kazakhstan Open – and his performance seems even more remarkable.
Confidence was so low he had been hitting his driver off the deck for 18 months to get it in play. He revealed he had stood on the 18th tee in Kazakhstan safe in the knowledge he wouldn’t hit the fairway.
Wilson’s story, along with countless other examples of athletes losing their mojo, show just how much of sport is played in the mind.
