Johnson Wagner continues to surprise fans
American Johnson Wagner is beginning to dream season. In just two tournaments in 2012, he nearly matched the total money gained in 2011.
Admitted that such a feat was still unexpected for a player who once ranked 198th in the world rankings.
Now, thanks to his dazzling performance, he has bolstered his position and currently stands at 70.
It was finally with a priority of two strokes that he won at the Sony Open, played in Hawaii.
No fewer than four players shared the second row, Carl Petterson, Sean O'Hair, Harrison Frazar and Charles Howell III.
Wagner, a giant 6 foot 3 inches and 230 pounds who has excelled in hockey, had to dip into its reserves to maintain its slim lead until the end. Despite his size, he is not known for his power.
The average of his tee strokes is only 269.3 yards, which ranks in the 135th position in this domain.
Instead, he excelled where it really counts, in the column of green reached in regulation strokes (75%) and putts.
With an excellent average of 1,534, it gives about 27.6 putts per round.
There was a third career win for Wagner, who had also clinched the Mayakoba Classic in 2011.
The biggest surprise in his case he knows is usually a slow start to the season and his game progresses over months.
Wagner himself seems modest and cannot explain this great start but surely he avoids complaining.
At Sony Open, of three Canadian players who took part in the tournament, David Hearn was the best with a tie for 10th place.
Graham DeLaet finished 29th level while Stephen Ames was disappointed in the final round with a 75 and had to settle for the 46th place overall.
He has found a new way to draw the spotlight on the course, his upper lip covered with a thick moustache is his new trademark.
One would be naive to think that developing a moustache has helped him win matches in any way.
Wagner did say that he was proud of his new looks but there is no question of making his moustache disappear.
His fans and family members are clearly surprised and often wonder if his moustache is the reason behind his successes.
Sharing his thoughts about his stunning form, Wagner said: “I worked harder this off-season, me personally, than I’ve ever dreamed of. My dad thought I was on speed or something. I just had all of this energy from working out”.
Next battle: Challenge Humana
After two weeks in the paradise setting of Hawaii, the PGA Tour moved to the California desert, specifically to the Quinta.
The pro-Am tournament is played on three courses: PGA West (Palmer course), La Quinta CC and PGA West (Nicklaus course).
Wagner grabbed the headlines, as he displayed a stellar performance, finishing 2nd.
Note that the final round was reserved strictly for professional players and Wagner proved he was not a man to walk away without putting up a tough fight.
Among the players listed, the presence of defending champion Jhonattan Vegas and Bill Haas drew the spotlight but Wagner repeated his magic once again.
Playing among giants like Phil Mickelson, Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas and Matt Kuchar could not do the Texan any harm.
The event also received a rare presence of Greg Norman. Virtually absent from the competition over the past 5 years, the Australian could not surprise many by the quality of his game, as he could not even make the cut.
Keeping in mind his ambitions, Wagner is going to remain in the limelight in next events.
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