Wi gains valuable learning experience at Colonial

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FORT WORTH, Texas -- Charlie Wi has finished as a runner-up four times in his PGA TOUR career, the latest coming Sunday when he finished one shot behind David Toms at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

No offense to bridesmaids anywhere, but Wi's getting a little anxious to take the next step.

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"It's great to finish second on the PGA TOUR any time," Wi said after shooting a final-round 69 to finish at 14 under. "But at the same time, it's a little bittersweet."

The 39-year-old Wi entered the day with a one-shot lead, the first time he had ever held a 54-hole lead in his TOUR career. He expanded that lead to three shots with birdies at the first two holes Sunday.

Toms began chipping away at Wi and they arrived at the par-5 11th hole tied. Toms then holed out from the fairway for eagle while Wi birdied with an up-and-down from a greenside bunker.

But Wi said the momentum actually started to shift at the 10th hole when he failed to commit on his second shot and ended up with bogey.

"To be tied with him, I'm sure he felt like the momentum was swigning because I felt that way as well," Wi said.

After Toms' hole-out, Wi then failed to get out of the fairway bunker with his second shot at the 12th hole, costing him another stroke.

"The killer was the second shot on 12, or the poor drive on 12," Wi said.

Eventually, Wi trailed by three, but a birdie at 16 and a Toms bogey at 17 left him with a fighting chance at 18. His approach shot, however, left him 44 feet from the pin, and he came up short on his birdie putt.

Toms, who shot a pair of 62s in the first two days, said he told Wi after their round that "if it wouldn't have been for the way I played the first two days," then Wi would have won.

Wi said Toms' experience played a big part in Sunday's outcome. "Other than experience, I don't believe he is a better player," he said. "But experience goes a long ways out here on the PGA TOUR."

Still, Wi was proud of being able to hang in there and not folding once he lost the lead.

"I kept it interesting until the last hole, so I'm very pleased with that," Wi said. "You know, I backdoored into finishing second a couple of times. But this was the first time where I was going head to head. So this is going to be an experience that's going to help me out in the future."