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GOLF: PGA TOUR: D.J.'s Blog: Following the defending champ

/noticias.info/ By D.J. Gregory, Special to PGATOUR.com

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Welcome to The Honda Classic which is played on the Champion Course at PGA National Resort and Spa. This week I had the honor of following defending champion Mark Wilson.

When I asked him about his greatest memory of 2007, Mark didn't hesitate.

"It's definitely got to be The Honda Classic, and the playoff and all that," he said, laughing. "That got me into a lot of new events and I guess a new place in golf so it was definitely the Honda."

I wondered if his schedule was different this week as defending champion compared to a regular week on TOUR.

"It has been certainly a little bit busier this week than normal, but not too bad," he told me. "I did a radio show Sunday morning when I was home. When I got here, there hasn't been a whole lot other than Wednesday; (which) is the day I (had) to talk to the media a little bit.

"I came down in December and did a full day of talking to various reporters and that was probably the meat of the preparation. This week, they have been real nice to me, giving me a heads up on what I need to do and when the time comes to tee it up on Thursday, I will be well rested."

Mark is originally from Menomonee Falls, Wisc., and currently lives in Chicago. He attended the University of North Carolina on a golf scholarship. Family is very important to Mark and his wife Amy, and this is why they still live in the Chicago area.

"I think probably I can remember playing in the Father-Son at our golf club where I grew up when I was like four and five years old," Mark said.

A year ago in September, Mark and Amy welcomed their first child into the world, a son named Lane.

"I don't have nearly as much free time as I used to," Mark told me. "It's exhausting, but it's so worth it. He's six months old now, he's got a personality. You see it growing every day -- lots of smiles, giggling and (you can) see him getting frustrated when he can't do something. Similar to his dad, I think -- that's what my wife says anyway. I guess you're never ready for parenthood.

"You just kind of have to dive in and see how it goes. It's been a tremendous ride already and its just getting started."

Understanding how important family is to Mark and how much he and his wife enjoy Lane, it wasn't surprising when Mark talked about how much he enjoys being at home.

"We don't get to be home that much so I just cherish my time (there)," he said. "Some of my favorite days have been now that I have my son where we just camp out at home. We don't leave all day long and we just feed him, we play, and that's probably my favorite stuff."

Mark also loves comedy. He grew up watching "Seinfeld," and he has several other favorites. If he could just see one comedian one more time, though, it would be Jim Gaffigan.

"He's maybe not the most well-known guy, but he is hysterical," Mark said. "He could talk for hours about food and Hot Pockets and stuff like that."

Mark says it's hard for him to get up in front of a group of people and just try to be interesting, so he's amazed at what stand-up comedians can do.

"These guys, their job is to make people laugh and for the audience to be sitting there expecting to laugh just seems like immense pressure," Mark said. "The only part of their job I know is the travel aspect -- being in different cities all the time. In general stand-up comedians really impress me."

The Champion Course at PGA National is a very stern challenge for the professionals. The course plays to 7,158 yards and is a par 70. This course has some very challenging greens with pronounced slopes and breaks even on short putts.

The 15th, 16th and 17th are known as "The Bear Trap," and these three holes, which seem to flirt with the water at every turn, are a true test of every phase of your golf game.

"You've got to be spot on with your distance control and your accuracy," Dudley Hart said. "They are severe golf holes; strange things can happen there."

The largest obstacle this week, though, was the wind. The wind was never at a consistent level for the entire round. For some holes it would be totally still and then there were some holes where the wind was a real factor. The Champion Course was a relatively easy walk, though, because it is so flat. Each of the holes seem to be close together so you know exactly where to go.

As I close my week here at The Honda Classic, I would like to express my deep appreciation to Amy and Mark Wilson for their kindness and generosity this week, I really appreciate it. I would also like to thank Scott, Karen, and Ken, and the entire staff at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott for their hospitality this week. Special thanks to Neil Como for joining me this week at The Honda Classic.

See you next week in Tampa where I will be following J.J. Henry. In the meantime, to learn more about who I am, please watch the two-part feature on Golf Central on GOLF CHANNEL this Saturday and Sunday. Thank you again for all of your e-mails and support. notas_de_prensa_archivo