SB FILE PHOTO Dean Wilson has had a solid year on the PGA Tour, with a career-best sixth-place finish at the Barclays Classic two weeks ago.

In the swing

Castle High alumnus Dean Wilson
is taking life on the PGA Tour in stride

ILVIS, Ill. » Watching golfers practice is sort of like hanging around the cage when a Major League Baseball team takes batting practice.

There's a lot of seemingly casual indifference and joking around cloaking some serious work.

Surprisingly, one of the similarities is some golfers, like batters, often help each other with advice on their swings. The difference is the batters who help each other are teammates, while the golfers compete against each other every week for their livelihood.

"Golf is funny that way," Castle graduate Dean Wilson said yesterday at the practice facility of the TPC at Deere Run, site of this week's John Deere Classic. "Not that many other sports are like that."

Wilson was the one giving free lessons yesterday, as Zach Johnson on his left and Paul Claxton to his right both sought his advice. He said it just happened to be his turn to help.

"Nah, I think you just caught me on a day when two guys had questions," Wilson said. "But everyone knows there is a player or two you wouldn't even ask for directions to the clubhouse during the middle of practice."

But Wilson takes it all in stride. Even though he failed to make the cut at last week's Cialis Western Open, shooting 70-76, his swing seemed to be in a groove yesterday.

He fine-tuned, spending extra time with his driver.

"I'm starting to feel like I'm getting better. I'm steadily improving," Wilson says.

A guy on a cell phone, a friend of Wilson, says, "Hey, Don Ho."

Wilson acknowledges him and goes back to work.

A man comes up to Wilson and gives him a picture to autograph. It is of Wilson standing over his ball at last year's tournament. The only problem is the ball is sitting on the middle of a bridge. Wilson laughs and signs the picture.

He goes back and works on his swing again. He tries a new club, chops a grounder to short on purpose, smiles at the sales rep, then hits a perfect shot with the new club he may or may not use in a tournament someday.

Later, Claxton's caddie jokes that dinner will be on his golfer if Wilson's tutoring results in Claxton's first PGA Tour victory come Sunday.

Of course, Wilson wants that for himself.

He seemed to be headed in the right direction with a career-best sixth-place finish at the Barclay's Classic two weeks ago, good for $207,000 and a leg up on not having to worry about qualifying every week.

But then the second-round 76 last week brought him back, closer to the pack of journeymen hoping to make it into each week's event.

"Every week is big for me. I just need to get some momentum and get some steady play going. I'm looking for consistency," Wilson said.

He is 66th in scoring average and 109th on the money list with $385,059 in 13 events this season. He's 35, and a veteran of the Japan and Nationwide Tours. He tees off tomorrow at 8 a.m. Hawaii time with Patrick Sheehan and David Berganio Jr.

His first Tour win would help get him out of the shadow of his BYU teammate, 2003 Masters winner Mike Weir, and the two most famous female golfers in the world. It certainly doesn't bother him to be associated with Weir, Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie.

Wilson is best known for being a playing partner of Sorenstam when she competed in the Bank of America Colonial in 2003 to become the first woman in decades to play in a PGA Tour event. He was applauded for the gracious manner in which he handled the situation.

Then he was nearly bumped out of his hometown Sony Open in February. Wie had a sponsor's exemption, but Wilson -- the most successful current golfer with Hawaii roots -- did not. He did get into the tournament as a late replacement.

Wilson said he does not know Wie that well, but he supports her playing in men's Tour events.

"People ask me if I played with her and they're surprised I haven't. I've met her and talked with her. The only thing we really have in common is we're from the same state," he said. "I think it's good. Anything that helps to bring interest to golf is good. People want to see how she competes against us and she always wants to push it to another level."

Wilson's highlights A look at some of Dean Wilson's top moments during the 2005 season Best finish » Tied for sixth at the Barclays Classic two weeks ago, aided by a third-round 66. Big shot » Recorded just the third double-eagle in Barclays Classic history by holing a 9-iron from 217 yards on the ninth hole during the second round. Close call » Was one shot off the lead after a 9-under 63 in the first round of the Buick Invitational, but was disqualified after a second-round 75 for failing to sign his scorecard.