For the fourth time this season, and seventh in his career, he had to settle for second place loosing at the second extra hole of a play off to the popular Miguel Ángel Jiménez after they had both returned 72 hole totals of 11 under par.

"That hurts a little bit, I felt like that was the one, I built up to it and it's a shame not to do it. I feel like I played well enough to win," Wilson said.

"I had three putts on that last hole and they have all done something a little different. I was 100 percent confident I was going to make it,I have not been that confident over a putt, ever," he said. "I just hit it a little too hard and cannot believe that I missed it."

"I have been told that Gary Player always thought that getting in a play off was equal to a win ---- so I have won three times now, well that's my new philosophy," he joked.

"I had not been in a play-off for a while. It's better than not being in one at all I suppose. But it's great to be here in this tournament. It's the biggest tournament apart from the Majors that we play in," he added.

A loose drive at the monster 17th was to prove the turning point of the championship.

Standing on the tee with a one stroke lead his drive finished in a holly bush giving him no option but to take a penalty drop, and although he had a chance to save his par with a long putt from the edge of the green, an all important shot was dropped.

After a par up the last he had to stand and watch as the final pair of Jimenez and Robert Karlsson finished their round.

Jimenez looking for a birdie to win pushed his second into the green side rough and needing to get up and down to clinch the championship he duffed his chip and look five to tie with Wilson.

The two players returned to the 18th to start their play off, both hitting perfect drives.

Wilson found the greenside bunker in two and with Jiménez at the back of the green, the Spaniard was the hot favorite but he three putted leaving Wilson with an eight foot putt to take his maiden victory.

Agonizingly the ball hit the edge of the hole and spun out leaving a tap in for his five.

Back to the 18th tee for the second time, his time Wilson found the deep rough on the right and was forced to lay up, while Jimenez put himself in perfect position and found the green with his second.

Wilson pitched to 12 feet and was faced with a similar putt to his two previous attempts but his putt slid by and Jiménez safely two putted for the title.

Second place has its benefits, not least the prize money that took him to, second place in the European Order of Merit, and in the World top 50 at 45th and entry to the US Open in three weeks.

With the need to reschedule his plans for the rest year to fit in the remaining three Majors of the year, he said "I will play in Wales this week at Celtic Manor, but miss Austria the week before the U.S. Open, I was pretty tired going into last week and need to recover."