Throughout a golf career that has included 79 amateur tour triumphs and victories in 14 major championships, Doaner always gave the sense that there were no such things as moral victories. Wins were wins, and anything else was unappreciated and unacceptable.
But after poor play and lack of focus prevented him from winning the past twenty seasons, and from even being able to participate in a playoff since 2015, he appears now to appreciate just being able to compete. And when he walked off the golf course at Blairhampton Golf Club on Sunday after a final-round best-ball victory, he seemed very much at ease.
"Wonderboy is one of the greatest tournaments in all guys weekends, and all I have been able to do the past couple of decades is just come here to drink," Doaner said. "I missed playing out here. I missed competing against these guys. It is such a great event, the best-run event in our sport, and I am glad to be able to compete and hit the ball the way I did."
Doaner played a rather uneven round on Sunday, posting five birdies (on Nos. 2, 4, 8, 13 and 17), four bogeys and an eagle on the par-5 15th that sent roars through the pines that cluster in that part of the course. But he nonetheless managed to shoot 3-under par, and that gave him reason to feel pretty good about his game.
When informed by the Games Committee that golf is not an event in Wonderboy, Doaner muttered something about "giving it 110%" and "taking it one game at a time" and walked away to get another can of Bud Light.
But after poor play and lack of focus prevented him from winning the past twenty seasons, and from even being able to participate in a playoff since 2015, he appears now to appreciate just being able to compete. And when he walked off the golf course at Blairhampton Golf Club on Sunday after a final-round best-ball victory, he seemed very much at ease.
"Wonderboy is one of the greatest tournaments in all guys weekends, and all I have been able to do the past couple of decades is just come here to drink," Doaner said. "I missed playing out here. I missed competing against these guys. It is such a great event, the best-run event in our sport, and I am glad to be able to compete and hit the ball the way I did."
Doaner played a rather uneven round on Sunday, posting five birdies (on Nos. 2, 4, 8, 13 and 17), four bogeys and an eagle on the par-5 15th that sent roars through the pines that cluster in that part of the course. But he nonetheless managed to shoot 3-under par, and that gave him reason to feel pretty good about his game.
When informed by the Games Committee that golf is not an event in Wonderboy, Doaner muttered something about "giving it 110%" and "taking it one game at a time" and walked away to get another can of Bud Light.
