By Dave Lagarde, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

Reprinted with permission

So what in the world was that anyway, David Mathis?

That little demonstration on the 72nd hole that was broadcast around the globe by The GOLF CHANNEL after the final putt of the BMW Charity Classic found the heart of the cup?

It included a banshee scream ('YEOW' is what it sounded like on television), the word 'YES' used as a signature exclamation point, each followed by a resounding double-fist pump.

It seemed fitting after Mathis, 34, whose career path is best described as a long, hard road, scored his first Nationwide Tour victory in front-running fashion and made the biggest score of his journeyman career, a first place check for $121,500 plus the keys to a very cool ride, an X5 BMW (manufacturer's suggested retail price: $54,500).

The question is does it have a name?

Mathis sighed when asked the question.

"I guess . . .''

Pause.

"Winning is huge.''

Pause.

"All the emotions . . .''

Pause.

"Gosh.''

Pause.

"It was a let out.''

Sheepish laugh.

Now that we've got 'The Let Out' established as a certified Nationwide Tour victory celebration, perhaps it would be prudent to explain how and why it happened. It's a pretty neat story, one that involves excessive amounts of faith, perseverance and hard work.

Mathis' real journey begins in Sept. 2004, after the native of Winston-Salem, N.C., had been a professional for seven seasons, toiling in relative obscurity with only a modicum of success on the Canadian Tour, the TearDrop Tour, the Triangle Tour, the Hooters Tour and the Tar Heel Tour.

"I was just getting by,'' Mathis said. "I was weighing my options. When I missed in the first round of Q-School that year I was ready to quit.''

Enter Chastity Mathis, who was his girlfriend at the time (and later, his wife). Chastity's father had encouraged her to constantly buoy Mathis' sagging confidence. And when he confided about his end game thoughts, she would have none of it.

"She refused to let me quit,'' Mathis said.

So Mathis entered a Tar Heel event. And he won.

"Instead of closing doors, it seemed like the Good Lord was doing just the opposite with me,'' said Mathis, a devout Christian.

One of the doors that opened belonged to teaching professional Patrick Kelley, who is based in Raleigh, N.C. Mathis sought Kelley's help in an effort to change a losing game. Among teacher's first words to pupil were: "Trust me. I can take you to a different spot.''

The trust was galvanized following the pair's first 20-minute session on the practice ground. Kelley spotted a serious swing flaw and made one adjustment.

"One of my problems was my misses always were on the toe of the club,'' Mathis said. "He changed my set-up and just like that I started hitting everything in the middle of the club, bang, bang, bang.''

But this is far from a quick-fix story. Mathis would make progress and then plateau. He became frustrated when he realized the connect-the-dots workload he faced. But his belief in Kelley never wavered.

They'd often meet on Mondays, with Kelley provided something to work on in preparation for the week. On off weeks, Mathis would beat hundreds of balls, ingraining the little changes until his motion finally was clean.

Results indicated Mathis was getting it, albeit it slowly. He finished 99th on the Nationwide Tour money list in his first full season in 2006. He jumped to 47th in 2007, aided by a career-best tie for second in the final regular season event that netted his biggest paycheck ($50,600).

Then something funny happened, something that didn't involve Mathis, yet proved to be a moment of clarity for him. Bryan DeCorso, one of Mathis' close friends from the seasons spent on the Canadian Tour, changed the course of his professional life in the span of a month by overhauling his swing in early April.

Less than a month later, DeCorso was the 54-hole leader at the Henrico County Open, but finished fourth following a final-round 74. DeCorso, 36, bounced back to score his first Nationwide Tour victory seven days later in the South Georgia Classic.

Just so happened that Mathis was paired with DeCorso in the final round, but dropped into a tie for sixth following a final-round 74. Like DeCorso at the Henrico, Mathis learned from the pressure-packed experience of playing in the final group.

"Things seemed to happen three times faster than normal,'' Mathis said. "I became anxious and got out of my rhythm. That opened my eyes.''

So did DeCorso's victory.

"I was so proud to see him win after all the time he put into the game,'' Mathis said. "It also gave me confidence. I remember telling myself, 'I know I can win too.' ''

That's what husband told wife before the start of the BMW Classic. Only Mathis was specific. He said he would win this week. And darned if the first-timer didn't.

Not only did another door open -- that to the throne room -- but all of a sudden, after all the miles, the beaten balls, the tours and the holes played competitively, Mathis suddenly finds himself in the enviable position of fourth on the Nationwide Tour money list, about $50,000 short of what he'll need to finish among 'The 25' and graduate to the PGA TOUR, something that was just a pipe dream when he started working with Kelley.

"I think I always had the ability, but I just didn't know how to use it,'' he said. "Patrick showed me the way to become consistent. I'd say my game has improved 85 percent since we started working together.''

But Mathis said he's not finished.

"There's a lot of time left in this year, a lot of golf left,'' he said. "I have the opportunity to make this something special.''

Like a dream season with a few more 'Let Out' celebrations.