Elmhurst resident Mark Wilson entered this past weekend’s BMW Championship at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont hoping for a top-five finish.

But even he was not expecting to see his name atop the leaderboard midway through the tournament.

“I was kind of surprised to be there,” Wilson admitted Sunday. “I didn’t feel great about my game coming in this week, but then all of a sudden found myself in position to win after the second round.”

Unfortunately for Wilson, Tiger Woods got in the way. Woods, who won the event by eight strokes, set a course-record 62 on Saturday to pull away from the field. Wilson, who was Woods’ playing partner after tying for the lead at 7-under par on Friday, had the best seat in the house for the show.

“He’s controlling his golf ball with his irons really well ... controls his distance, and then he took advantage of his opportunities,” Wilson said of Woods. “He rolled in the 10-footers that he needed to make the birdies.”

The same was true for Wilson on Friday. Wilson shot a 5-under par 66, the second lowest round of the day.

“I was reading the greens really well and starting my putts on line,” he said of what went right for him Friday. “On the weekend, I made some putts, but there were certainly a few that didn’t go in, whereas Friday they all went in.”

Wilson shot even par on Saturday and a 3-over par 74 on Sunday to finish tied for 10th.
Unfortunately for Wilson, the 10th place finish was not good enough to qualify him for The Tour Championship in two weeks. The top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings advance, and Wilson, who entered the BMW Championship ranked 41st, currently is 32nd.

“I started out poorly both Saturday and Sunday, but I hung in there and I feel like a played a really good back nine (Sunday),” Wilson said. “I gave it a good shot.”

Wilson didn’t let the disappointment hamper his relationship with his fans. Less than 10 minutes after realizing he was not going to be in the top 30, there was Wilson beyond the 18th green, signing autographs and chatting it up with fans of all ages. After signing every golf ball, hat and flag waived before him, Wilson set his Ping visor on a young child’s head before leaving for the clubhouse.

Standing before the fans, Wilson looked just as relaxed as he did on Wednesday, Sept. 9 when he seemingly appeased every autograph-seeker’s request during the 46th annual Chick Evans Pro-Am.

“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 entered the tournament 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 Woods, who won the event.

While Woods is known for his intense 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 at the Pro-Am, 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.”