Mark Wilson's birdie on the 17th led to an even-par third round at the BMW Championship Saturday in Lemont. The Elmhurst resident also had a front-row seat to witness Tiger Woods carve out another piece of history on Cog Hill's Dubsdread course.

Three bogeys in on the first six holes forced Wilson to play catchup form the start. After the third bogey, he rallied with back-to-back birdies. His grand-total five bogeys Saturday were matched by his third straight round with as many birdies. Wilson stands tied for sixth at 7-under heading into Sunday's final round.

Woods' incredible performance opened up a 7-stroke lead after he broke his own course record with a 9-under 62.

Wilson tees off Sunday at 12:25 p.m. along with Jim Furyk in the fourth-to-last group. Woods' first swing is set for 12:55 p.m.

Wilson catches Tiger

Wilson earned a share of the top spot heading into Saturday's third round of the BMW Championship.

And while the Elmhurst resident has golfed the near-by championship course at Cog Hill many times, his next round in Lemont could make it feel like he's on a different planet

The other leader is, of course, Tiger Woods. In addition to the pressure of dueling head to head with the best golfer in the world, Wilson will have to contend with the moving masses that swarm to Woods' every swing.

For at least a short time, though, the two golfers were equals when they teed off Saturday afternoon, both 7-under par.

Five birdies in a bogey-free second round gave Wilson a 5-under 66  Friday, while Woods shaved four strokes to join him at the top. They hold a 1-shot lead over four other contenders.

A top-10 finish this weekend will make Wilson a strong candidate for advancing to The Tour Championship in two weeks.

In Round 1 Thursday, Wilson turned in a 2-under 69 after mixing three bogeys in with five birdies.

Wilson reaches out to fans

The pack of autograph-seeking fans lined the ropes beyond the 18th green at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club on Wednesday as Wilson calmly strode by.

As Wilson, an Elmhurst resident who turned pro in 1997, finished playing in the 46th annual Chick Evans Memorial Pro Am and casually talked with his caddy, a young voice caught his attention.

“Mr. Wilson, Mr. Wilson,” the young boy called, waiving a white hat in his hand.

Before the boy could say anything else, Wilson was in front of him, Sharpie pen in his hand, wide-eyed smile on his face.

“He always signs autographs for the kids,” said Mary Kies, an Elmhurst resident who knows Wilson through church and watched him at the Pro Am. “He’s just a good sport. Just a really neat person.”

Wilson spent several minutes signing every hat, golf flag and golf ball put before him, just as he did after every hole that day. While some professionas walked right past the same autograph seekers hole after hole, apparently more focused on preparing for this weekend’s BMW Championship, Wilson made a point not to leave any fan left out.

“I look at the Pro Am more as a social event than how you play,”  said Wilson, who began Thursday’s tournament ranked 41st in the FedEx Cup standings. Wilson shot a 2-under par 69 in the first round of the tournament, and finds himself in a tie for 12th place.

He is scheduled to tee of in Round 2 Friday at 10:30 a.m. on Hole No. 10.

The top 30 in the rankings at the end of the BMW Championship will advance to The Tour Championship in two weeks, a goal Wilson has had for quite some time.

“A top 10 finish or something a little better than that should do the trick,” Wilson said. “If I finish in the top 15 I still have a fighting chance, but it depends on what everyone around me does. Obviously you’d like to take care of business yourself and not have to worry about what anyone else is doing.”

One thing Wilson may have going for him is a home course advantage. Cog Hill’s Dubsdread course was recently renovated to provide a greater level of difficulty for this weekend’s tournament. While most professionals did not see the changes — like a new pond on No. 7, as well as longer holes, firmer greens and deeper bunkers — firsthand until Wednesday, Wilson has already played the redesigned course a half-dozen times.

But he also knows there is a difference between knowing the course and playing the course well.

“I don’t think it’s a huge advantage, but I feel a little more comfortable maybe than the other guys,” Wilson said. “I would bet on the guy whose game is in good shape versus the guy who has local knowledge. Thankfully I feel good about my game, too.”

And with good reason. Wilson is averaging a career-low 70.42 score in 2009, and picked up his second PGA Tour victory in February at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Cancun, Mexico. He also finished tied for third at the Memorial Tournament in June behind champion Tiger Woods.

While Woods is known for his instense focus on the course — be it in practice or in competition — Wilson comes across as much more laid back. After teeing off on the first hole, he made sure to introduce himself to the group’s caddies, and then talked and walked alongside his playing partners.

He went out of his way to find out what each person did for a living.

He offered putting tips.

He was just one of the guys.

Wilson said he was particularly relaxed because, with the tournament being held in Lemont, he was able to stay at home all week with his wife and 2-year-old son, Lane.

“It’s great. You don’t have to pack up at the end of the week,” Wilson said with a grin. “You just drive home.”

The Wilson’s quickly got comfortable calling Elmhurst home. The couple moved there from Chicago in 2006 and immediately fell in love with the area.

“We like the tight-knit community,” Wilson said. “It seemed like neighbors were a big part of everyone’s life, and that’s what we found out.”

That closeness was even on display Wednesday in Lemont, as Kies kidded with Wilson after two missed birdie attempts on the second and third holes.

“Mark, you could have birdied those,” she said as Wilson walked to the fourth tee.
He could have ignored the comment. He could have gotten angry. But that’s not Wilson’s style. So he looked back at Kies and simply said, “I’m saving it for the week.

“You obviously want to make as many putts as you can,” Wilson later explained, “but if I had to choose, I’d rather have them Thursday through Sunday.”