The U.S. Bank Championship, slated for July 19-22 at Brown Deer Park Golf Course, announced three commitments Tuesday. Dean Wilson, D.J. Trahan, Eric Axley and Troy Matteson, all winners of PGA Tour events since the 2006 U.S. Bank Championship, have agreed to participate, according to tournament director Dan Croak.
Wilson collected his first Tour victory in his 118th start by defeating Tom Lehman with a birdie on the second hold of a playoff at last year's International. Wilson made 23 of 34 cuts last year and earned six top-10 finishes en route to a top-30 finish on the PGA TOUR money list. Dean has made 9 of 15 cuts to date this season and has two top-10 finishes. A native of Hawaii, Wilson is playing his fifth season on tour. He will be making his fourth start in Milwaukee and has finished in the top-10 here in each of the past two years.
D.J. Trahan earned his first title when he defeated Joe Durant on the third playoff hole at last year's Southern Farm Bureau Classic. Trahan had two top-10 finishes last year, the first of which came at the U.S. Bank Championship. D.J. posted four rounds in the 60s to finish five strokes behind wire-to-wire victor Corey Pavin. Now in his third year on the PGA TOUR, Trahan was a highly successful amateur before turning professional. D.J. won the 2000 PubLinks Championship, was a member of the 2001 U.S. Walker Cup Team and helped lead Clemson to the NCAA Championship in 2003. He will be making his fourth start in Milwaukee.
Axley, a tour rookie last year, earned the first victory of his career at the Valero Texas Open and became just the eighth left-hander to win on tour. After playing his first 16 holes at 1-over-par, Axley played his final 58 holes at 16-under and went 53 holes with making a bogey en route to his win. A native of Tennessee, Eric played the NGA/Hooters Tour and the Nationwide Tour before earning his way onto the PGA Tour last year. He will be making his second start in Milwaukee.
Matteson, also a rookie on the PGA TOUR last year, earned the first victory of his career at the Frys.com Open. After an unremarkable start to his season, Troy finished with five consecutive top-10s and finished 36th on the PGA TOUR money list as well as earning an invitation to this year's Masters. A two-time winner on the Nationwide Tour in 2005, Matteson set the all-time season earnings record on that Tour, making 24 of 27 cuts and notching 12 top-10 finishes. A professional since 2003, Troy won the 2002 NCAA individual championship while at Georgia Tech. He has made 9 of 15 cuts to date this season and tied for 3rd at the AT&T Classic two weeks ago. He will be making his first start at the U.S. Bank Championship.
