One would have anticipated for Camilo Villegas to be apprehensive about looking to win for the primary time in 9 years. But no, there he was once coming down the stretch, hitting chippy, minimize drivers and insane sand pictures with the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship at the line.
In the tip, his 65 on Sunday — together with a loopy nice bunker save birdie at the 71st hollow — was once sufficient to get to 24 below as Villegas beat Alex Noren by way of two and Matti Schmid by way of 3. It is Villegas’ 5th PGA Tour victory, however his first because the 2014 Wyndham Championship.
So much has came about since 2014. He were given married and had two youngsters. One of them, his 2-year-old daughter Mia, died of most cancers in July 2020. Villegas and his spouse, Maria, had been open about their adventure and combat, and Villegas was once poignant after as of late’s spherical.
“I love this game,” he advised Golf Channel. “This game has given me so many great things, but in the process, it kicks your butt. Life has given me so many great things, and in the process, it kicks my butt.”
Villegas was once Rickie Fowler sooner than Rickie Fowler. A four-time All-American at Florida, he received early and steadily in his PGA Tour profession, taking each the Tour Championship and BMW Championship and just about swiping a Players Championship as smartly. He was once younger, handsome, immensely proficient and a hit at a time the place it was once now not at all times a for the reason that younger avid gamers would achieve success.
After seven years, even though, his recreation began to drop just a little, and despite the fact that he received that 2014 Wyndham, he has handiest had one certain strokes received season since 2010. Still, Villegas battled. He performed Korn Ferry Tour occasions — now not in particular smartly, however he stored taking part in and stored believing (or at least stored looking to imagine) even if it was once now not simple.
“It’s unbelievable to be honest,” added Villegas. “It feels unbelievable. Nine years, nine years where you kind of stop believing at times, but I never stopped waking up early and putting in the work. Life is interesting, it goes up and down both on the personal side and on the professional side. Just got to keep a path, and you’ve got to keep your mind where it needs to be. Like I said, I’m a hard worker. I love working. I love having a purpose every morning and that’s kind of what I did.”
Last week, at age 41, after creating a swing alternate previous this yr, Villegas completed T2 at the World Wide Technology Championship. It was once his first best 10 at the PGA Tour because the 2021 Honda Classic. And the realization grew. Villegas stated he will have to have won 500 textual content messages final week after just about successful in Mexico. Surely that buoyed him this week as he attempted to carry off Noren and Schmid.
Villegas famous that he had signed up for Q-School and was once headed there if now not for the final two weeks. Now, he is in subsequent yr’s Masters.
His is a tale of atypical private perseverance but in addition private perseverance. Villegas was once ranked out of doors the highest 700 on this planet going into 2023. And but, one golfer has crushed him over the process the final two weeks, his PGA Tour standing is now safe once more, and he have spread out all kind of alternatives for himself that have been nonexistent a couple of weeks in the past.
Villegas’ quote from previous (stated a distinct method) is that this: In the method, it kicks your butt, however this recreation has given me such a lot of good things.