Oliver Wilson insists he has been able to take plenty of positives from his string of runner-up finishes.
Serial runner-up out to put record straight in Hong Kong
Oliver Wilson insists he has been able to take plenty of positives from his string of runner-up finishes, but is finally hoping to end his frustration at this week's Hong Kong Open.
The 28-year-old returned a four-under-par first round of 66 in Fanling on Thursday to put himself right in contention, two shots behind early pacesetters Richard Sterne and Liang Wen-chong as he again bids to record a first European Tour victory.
The Englishman was left to reflect on an another second-placed finish earlier in the month when he was edged out in a play-off by Sergio Garcia at the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.
That was Wilson's eighth runner-up spot since he joined the Tour in 2005, but he insists the near misses have made him stronger and is hoping lady luck will now smile on him in Hong Kong come Sunday.
"Even when you don't finish second, when you get up there, you learn something," said Wilson.
"It is great, no matter what happens, if you can get in those last few groups on Sunday, I think you learn something from your game coming down the stretch.
"Obviously, if you are leading you always learn something. I guess that's why the more you do it, the better you get.
"You take little bits from it all the time and put them together and hopefully one time it will come together and you win by four or five.
"It is all part and parcel of learning and hopefully I can learn a bit more this week.
"I think a lot of people know that I'm going to win soon and it might as well be this one.
"It is the first round so it is early days and there is a long way to go. If I can keep plodding my way around the next few days and get in the final few groups on Sunday, I think I'll have a good chance."
