Oliver Wilson was the last man in at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters but could end the week as the last man standing after a bogey free first 36 holes at Doha Golf Club.
The Englishman has had a remarkable career so far, turning professional after being part of a victorious Walker Cup team in 2003 and then graduating from the European Challenge Tour in 2004.
He would lose four play-offs en route to nine second places in four seasons between 2006 and 2009, with that form earning him a Ryder Cup debut in 2008.
The 38-year-old lost his card in 2011 but three years later claimed a remarkable first European Tour win playing on an invite at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
I’m moving in the right direction and getting more confidence in my game - Oliver Wilson
He would lose his playing privileges again in 2016 and despite wining twice on the Challenge Tour last season, he agonisingly finished 17th in the Rankings to narrowly miss out on earning a card on the European Tour.
Wilson booked his flights to Qatar in advance of travelling and was spared the nervous wait of being an alternate as his place was secured after last week's Oman Open.
A win this week could start a third chapter in Wilson's incredible story and he is starting to feel good about his game after two spells off the European Tour.
“It’s hard not to put pressure on yourself," he said. "It’s a different position when you can plan a schedule and know you have 25 or 30 events or even more if you need to, you can be a bit more patient - I don’t have that, I don’t know how many events I’m going to get in.
"I know there’s enough for me to get the job done and have a very good year. That’s one aspect. To be honest, it’s trying to improve.
"I’m really pleased with what I’ve done in the last year, I’m moving in the right direction and getting more confidence in my game. There’s still a long way to go, I’m just trying to improve and hopefully the results will come and at the end of the year I can look back, be pleased, and have a schedule for next year.
“Last year was a big year. It was pretty low before that but I started to get a bit of understanding and started to see things differently on the course and with my ball striking, understanding where I’d gone wrong.
"I’ve been working on that for a year and a half and it’s coming together. I’m hitting better shots, my good has improved, my bad has improved and I’m able to play better golf for longer periods. I’m very aware there is a long way to go.”
