Dramatic win, trip to Masters hasn't sunk in for Wagner

HUMBLE, Texas -- He can't wait to skip balls across the water at 16 at Augusta National.

Or play in Wednesday's Par-3 Contest.

Or whap one onto a par-5 and give himself a chance to take home a little crystal.

Johnson Wagner, the man with two last names, played his way into the Masters and onto golf's next level Sunday afternoon at Redstone's Tournament Course. He hit big-time shots. He made clutch putts. He lost his course record to Adam Scott in the opening round, then grabbed a share of the new one later that day. He led wire-to-wire.

But most of all, he remembered to breathe.

And he never got ahead of himself.

The man whose name sounds more like a company you'd invest in than something you'd find on a leaderboard played it cool until the end at the Shell Houston Open when he capped off his first PGA TOUR win with a string of fist-pumps and jumps on the 18th green.

"I think I'm a pretty -- I don't know what the right word it right now . . . I'm pretty composed,'' said Wagner, who beat former U.S. Open champ Geoff Ogilvy and fllow Texan Chad Campbell by two shots. "I don't really show much emotion on the golf course. But when that putt went in on 17, I mean, I gave it more of a fist pump than I think I ever have.

"When that went in on 18, it was more relief that it was over and excitement and so many different feelings mixed into one. I just kind of went crazy. But I was happy to go crazy.''

Happy? Montford Johnson Wagner was flying.

Grins all around. Hugs with caddie Steve Hale who kept reminding him to breathe and his family -- wife Katie, dad Tommy and mom Betty. The only thing missing from the picture? His sponsor's (Geico) gecko. Can it be long until that's arranged?

Life was moving so fast Sunday afternoon that before he'd had time to collect his thoughts -- or the Waterford trophy -- his agent had already chartered a plane to take him to Augusta. And arranged for someone to drive his RV. And, well . . .who knows what else.

"Sounds funny, you know, even saying it," Wagner said. "I don't care if I shoot 90 both days and miss the cut. I'm so excited to be there and it's just a dream come true."

And, no, he couldn't stop smiling.

"Nothing really has sunk in yet,'' Wagner said. "There's so many benefits to winning out here, and the Masters is great. I guess I'll be going to Mercedes Championship next year, which is also great. Just the feeling of accomplishment. This is something I've wanted to do my entire life, and to win at the highest level of golf, you know, I'm just thrilled and not shocked, but just -- I just can't believe it.

"It was incredible week from the start to finish. And I played great all week. It was very high pressure the last two days, and I don't know how I got through it, but I thought I was going to get sick on myself out there a couple times.''

Like when he walked over the bridge to the 18th tee trying to calm himself down...and saw Bob Estes and Charley Hoffman waiting to hit their tee shots. It was the first wait of the day. At, well, a tough time.

Wagner started the day one-up on Campbell but was sitting on a five-shot lead after a birdie at the fourth. He gave one back, then held on while Campbell and Ogilvy made late runs. He took a deep breath when he ran home an 11-foot par putt at the 17th -- dead center -- then prepped himself to hit his final tee shot. Not wait.

"When I got over the bridge and saw that the guys in front of us hadn't even hit yet, I kind of started freaking out,'' he said.

"A lot of bad thoughts went through my head, and, you know, it would have been a lot easier to go up there and hit the tee shot. With a 2-shot lead I knew I could play safe over to the right bunker. It's not where I wanted to hit it. It was a safe alternative to the big lake on the left.''

Still, he admits, those bad thoughts tried to creep in.

"Don't hook it in the water,'' he said. "If you do hook it in the water, make it cross the land so you don't have to hit the tee shot again. "

Wagner, who admits to 28 but looks more like a junior in college, pushed them back out. He ignored the crowds, played his game and became the 13th first-time winner at the SHO and the second wire-to-wire winner since the tournament moved to Redstone.

Just what got into him? Who knows? Coming into the week, Wagner had missed six of nine cuts and was ranked 193rd in the world. He worked his rear end off last month when he didn't make the field at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Invitaitonal presented by MasterCard and felt good about his closing 69 at last week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans. And truth told, the two-time winner on the Nationwide Tour really thought he'd break through last year when he played in a omigosh-I-need-to-keep-my-card 33 events.

But lightning hit instead this week in Texas where he finished tied for ninth last year and set a course record in the third round with a 64. Fast forward to this week when he threw out that opening 63 to tie Scott and take back a share of the new record.

It jump started a Cinder-fella story that found him watching Masters highlights on The Golf Channel Saturday night after the NCAA semifinal games.

"I think watching it on TV for so many years, helps more than anything, seeing the putts, seeing how to play 16 when the pin is back left,'' he said. "And watching it my whole life, I feel like I know it. And I'm sure getting out there is going to be a different experience, but I've got three days to learn it.''

Earlier in the week, Wagner sat in the press room and wondered when the day would come. He played Augusta National four years ago with his great uncle -- his grandmother's brother -- who is a member.

"I stayed right off the first hole and played 36 holes, two straight days,'' Wagner said. "And I definitely know I'm going to be there sometime, whether it's next week or five years from now, I don't know, but I look forward to playing there in the tournament.''

A mere 48 hours later, he was in the field and on count-down to wheels-up for Augusta. And, just maybe, a practice round with four-time Masters champ Tiger Woods? Or has he ever played with him?

"Never,'' Wagner said. "Played with Mark O'Meara this year at the Buick. He told me I should go up to him and ask him to play a practice round with him sometime. I would love to. He's the man, you know. Anything you can do to get close to him and learn from him would be a good thing, and he's the best probably athlete ever to play any sport.

"So it would be an honor to play with him whenever."

For the time being, Wagner just wanted to let it sink in. He left his phone in his RV and wasn't planning on looking at it for, maybe 24 hours.

"I'm probably going to turn it off and turn it on sometime tomorrow,'' he said. "I think I'm going to enjoy this and not listen to voice mail. ''

 

 

 

By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

Copyright www.pgatour.com 2008

 

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