Mark Wilson Bio
Mark Joseph Wilson (born October 31, 1974) is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour. In 1996, while still an amateur, he received the Ben Hogan Award, presented by Friends of Golf and the Golf Coaches Association of America, recognizing the best college golfer in the United States. He is a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, with his most recent victory coming at the 2012 Humana Challenge. A native of the Midwest who built his career through the developmental tours, Wilson became known for his steady ball-striking and his ability to perform on final-day leaderboards.
Mark Wilson Career
Early Career (1997-2006)
Wilson turned professional in 1997 and began his career on the NGA Hooters Tour, where he won three times between 1998 and 2001. He then earned his PGA Tour card for the 2003 season after finishing tied for seventeenth at the 2002 PGA Tour Qualifying School. In his first full season on the PGA Tour, he narrowly missed retaining his card by finishing 128th on the money list and held conditional status for 2004, splitting time that year between the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.
Wilson regained his full PGA Tour card at the 2005 Qualifying School and closed the year with three top-ten finishes, including a tied for third at the Valero Texas Open, which at that point was his best PGA Tour result. He slipped to 133rd on the 2005 money list, returned to Qualifying School at the end of 2006, and secured full playing privileges for the 2007 season, setting the stage for his breakthrough year.
PGA Tour Breakthrough (2007-2008)
Wilson captured his first PGA Tour title at the 2007 Honda Classic in March 2007, emerging from a four-way playoff. After being tied with José Cóceres, Camilo Villegas, and Boo Weekley at five-under-par, he won on the third extra hole. The victory pushed him into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career and announced him as a player capable of closing out tight tournaments on the biggest stages.
Mayakoba and Sony Era (2009-2011)
Wilson added his second PGA Tour title at the 2009 Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun, demonstrating his comfort on resort-style, scoring layouts. In 2011, he broke through with two wins in the early portion of the season, capturing the Sony Open in Hawaii and the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The Phoenix victory came in a playoff against Jason Dufner and cemented his reputation as a clutch finisher.
The Sony Open title also earned Wilson his first invitation to the Masters Tournament. Later that year, he recorded a tied for twenty-sixth at the PGA Championship, his best result to date in a major championship. His 2011 form placed him firmly among the tour’s consistent contenders heading into the following year.
Humana Challenge and Beyond (2012-2015)
Wilson earned his fifth PGA Tour victory at the 2012 Humana Challenge, holding off Robert Garrigus, Johnson Wagner, and John Mallinger by two strokes. He finished at twenty-four-under-par, aided by a second-round 62 that included eight birdies and an eagle, and the win moved him to a career-high 40th in the Official World Golf Ranking. The following month, he reached the semifinals of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship before losing to eventual champion Hunter Mahan, 2 and 1, and then defeated Lee Westwood, 1 up, in the consolation match to finish third. That run lifted him to a career-best 24th in the world ranking.
For the first time since joining the PGA Tour, Wilson played the 2016-17 season out of the past champion’s category, signaling a transition away from full-time tournament play. In 2022, he returned to competition as a past champion, teeing it up at The American Express in La Quinta, California, where his exemption status granted him entry.
Notable Events and Milestones
Wilson’s defining moments include his four-way playoff win at the 2007 Honda Classic, his 2011 playoff win at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and his 2012 Humana Challenge triumph that set his career-low round of 62. He has also recorded top-25 finishes in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and a tied for twenty-sixth at the 2011 PGA Championship, the strongest major result of his career.
Mark Wilson Career Wins
Wilson has recorded nine professional wins across multiple tours, with five coming on the PGA Tour and four on developmental or satellite circuits. He is a two-time playoff winner on the PGA Tour, having never lost a sudden-death or match-play decision at the events he won. His victories are spread across resort courses, parkland layouts, and Hawaiian venues, reflecting a player comfortable in varied scoring conditions.
PGA Tour Highlights
Wilson’s five PGA Tour titles are the 2007 Honda Classic, the 2009 Mayakoba Golf Classic, the 2011 Sony Open in Hawaii, the 2011 Waste Management Phoenix Open, and the 2012 Humana Challenge. His first PGA Tour victory came in a four-way playoff at the Honda Classic, while his most recent title came at the Humana Challenge in 2012, where he set a personal-best 62 in the second round. He has also notched three top-ten finishes in World Golf Championships events.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his PGA Tour victories, Wilson won three times on the NGA Hooters Tour between 1998 and 2001, the developmental circuit that helped launch his professional career. He also picked up one additional professional victory outside the PGA Tour umbrella, bringing his career total to nine. These early wins were critical in building the resume that allowed him to advance to the Nationwide Tour and ultimately the PGA Tour.
Mark Wilson Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Wilson was born and raised in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, where he first developed his love for golf before moving south. He currently resides in Greer, South Carolina, the home base he has used throughout much of his PGA Tour career. Wilson and his wife, Amy, are parents to three children, and the family has made the Upstate South Carolina area their long-term home.
Off the course, Wilson and Amy are heavily involved with the Blessings in a Backpack charitable organization, a nonprofit whose mission is to send needy school children home every weekend with nonperishable food for Saturday and Sunday. The Wilsons have championed the cause through fundraising and awareness efforts, tying their personal platform to community service.
2025 Season Performance
Wilson is no longer a full-time member of the PGA Tour and does not maintain an active tournament schedule in 2025. Since the 2016-17 season, when he competed under the past champion’s category, he has shifted his professional focus toward media and commentary roles. In 2022, he made a one-off competitive appearance as a past champion of The American Express, and there is no verified indication of additional tour starts in 2025.
Wilson’s primary professional activity now centers on his work as a golf commentator for PGA Tour Radio, PGA Tour LIVE on ESPN+, and PGA Tour Champions coverage on Golf Channel. He has also continued his involvement with Blessings in a Backpack, using his broadcasting platform to spotlight charitable causes. His legacy on the course remains defined by five PGA Tour wins, including signature victories at the Honda Classic, Sony Open, Waste Management Phoenix Open, and Humana Challenge.
