Oliver Wilson was born on September 14th, 1980 in Mansfield, England. He attended the Augusta State University and played in the Walker Cup in 2003. Later that year he turned pro and he joined the Challenge Tour in 2004. He finished the year 15th in the rankings to earn his place on the European Tour.

In his rookie season Wilson notched up three top ten finishes and ended the season 97th on the Order of Merit. The following year he came close to winning when he lost in a playoff to Paul Casey at the Volvo China Open. He failed to reproduce this form but still ended the year 71st.