Wilson still climbing ladder, and not resting anytime soon

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The last 36 hours have been pretty darn good for Mark Wilson.

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Final wrap-up
Results, points
The TOUR Report
Dolch: Dufner didn't lose it
FedExCup standings
Video: Monday highlights
Video: Shot of the Day

Back in the hotel room on Sunday night, Wilson got his son Lane into his jammies and then proceeded to beat the 3-year-old at Candyland. "He hasn't figured out how he can plant the cards just yet, so I usually win," Wilson said with a twinkle in his eye.

And about the time the two-minute warning sounded, Wilson finally got to concentrate on the Super Bowl. He and Lane celebrated with a few high-fives when the Green Bay Packers win was assured, and then Wilson tried to settle down and get some rest.

"But I didn't sleep very well just because of that excitement and the uncertainty of today," the self-avowed Cheesehead acknowledged.

Maybe not. But Wilson appeared extremely relaxed when he returned to TPC Scottsdale on Monday morning, played his final six holes of regulation in even par and then went two more in a playoff to beat Jason Dufner and win the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Of course, Wilson appears to have gotten pretty used to the final-round pressure so maybe his composure should have been expected. Along with last month's Sony Open in Hawaii, the victory was his second in just three starts this year -- and the fourth of the 36-year-old's career.

Wilson, who struggled last year to finish among the top 125 on the money list, took a big leap into the upper echelon of his profession with Monday's victory, too. He currently owns a 336-point lead in the FedExCup standings and has risen 186 spots to 51st in the Official World Golf Ranking this year.

Now the pressure's on Wilson's travel agent. He plans to ride the wave and play the next eight weeks straight -- a stint that will likely include his first appearance in the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. The top 64 in the world rankings as of next Monday earn invitations to the event.

Wilson does plan to take a week off prior to playing in his first Masters, though. And with his second win since last year's U.S. Open, Wilson earns an invite to the 2011 renewal at Congressional Country Club in June -- his first appearance since 1998.

"I keep saying we've got to take a week off somewhere, where are we going to do that?" Wilson said. "... Then I see the snowstorm up in Chicago, and it's like, 'why do I need to go back there?' There's no reason. Let's just keep playing. ...

"I'm just enjoying the ride here and that's just kind of the way I'm going to look at the year here, just ride this train as long as I can."

Now, Wilson didn't take advantage of TPC Scottsdale's generous closing holes and make the birdies he had hoped for after he resumed play Monday with a 15-footer at the 12th green. But when he hung tough, and when Wilson finally had the opportunity to end the playoff, he buried the 9-footer to win.

Wilson attributes the turnaround to the work he's done with Dr. Greg Rose at the Titleist Performance Institute. Rose taught him to split the putts into two parts, which allows Wilson to see the line better. The first time he used the technique was at last year's Children's Miracle Network Classic and Wilson finished sixth -- and the 2011 season speaks for itself.

Along with the new putting approach, though, Wilson has added emphasis to the rest of his short game. Every time he plays a practice round, the former UNC standout tosses a ball down about 100 yards from the hole and tries to get it up and down.

"I almost don't even care about the shot I hit on the green during the practice round," Wilson said. "I focus more on that short shot. Those two things have just really calmed me down, going, hey, no matter where I hit the ball I can get it up and down from inside 100 yards and therefore it's going to be hard for me to make bogeys."

Most of all, though, Wilson has learned to trust in his abilities. He's always been what he calls a "searcher" -- sometimes trying something new even within a round. But Dr. Bob Rotella, the noted sports psychologist, finally got Wilson to focus on what he does best.

"I stray from that every once in a while, but for some reason at the end of last year, which was one of my worst years in recent history, it just popped back into my head," Wilson said. "Hey, I've got to just trust what I'm doing and just play my own game, not try to put my swing on camera every afternoon after the rounds and try to make it perfect, because I looked around and I see everyone has got a different swing."

That's true. But Wilson's has been picture perfect of late.