Cumberland Times-News

Golf

March 7, 2010

Villegas runs away to win Honda Classic

Cumberland — PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Camilo Villegas was checking his phone constantly on the driving range, barely bothering to hit any balls and instead seeking updates on how his brother was doing at a Nationwide Tour event in their native Colombia.

As Villegas showed all week, practice can be overrated.

Villegas shot a final-round 68 to win the Honda Classic by five shots Sunday over Anthony Kim, his third PGA Tour victory and a perfect way to cap a week that began with one celebration and ended with another.

He finished at 13-under 267, the lowest 72-hole score since the Honda moved to PGA National in 2007, four shots better than Y.E. Yang’s winning total a year ago. And Villegas made it look easy most of the way, too, capping his day with a 20-footer for birdie, then raising both hands skyward.

“I’ve just had good vibes in me all week,” Villegas said.

Never better than Sunday.

He led by only two after Vijay Singh made a 45-foot birdie putt at the par-3 fifth, but three straight birdies — starting with a 25-footer on No. 8 — sent Villegas to 15 under and six shots clear of the field.

Good thing he had that cushion, because the putter stopped working after that.

Fortunately for Villegas, no one made much of a run.

“It’s very special,” Villegas said. “I’m just very privileged to do what I do. But trust me, it’s tough. These guys are good. That is so true. Those guys are good.”

He missed short par putts on 11 and 12, three-putted from 50 feet on the par-3 15th for another bogey, but never lost control of the lead and ended up pocketing the $1.008 million winner’s share.

Steely eyed for most of the day, Villegas finally acknowledged the crowd as he walked up 18, waving and secure in the knowledge that he was getting his first victory since the Tour Championship in 2008.

“Fair play to him,” Justin Rose said. “It was nice to even be in a position to kind of think that way, no doubt.”

Kim shot 67 and Rose had by far the best round of the day, a 64 that was three shots better than anyone else. Paul Casey (67) and Vijay Singh (72) tied for fourth, seven shots back.

“I hung in there,” said Kim, who got his best finish since tying for second at the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship in 2009. “I still haven’t put four good ones together but I’m trying as hard as I can to get there. I’m working on the right things and I’m sure it will come.”

Villegas didn’t even play a practice round at PGA National this week, after a travel schedule that he somehow found exhilarating.

After finishing tied for eighth at the Phoenix Open, Villegas headed back to his native Colombia on Monday for a slew of events — sponsor dinner, youth clinic, pre-tournament party, all within about a 36-hour window — to help open the Nationwide Tour’s Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open, the first PGA Tour-sanctioned event in South America.

He showed up in South Florida on Wednesday, rolled out of his own bed to start the tournament on Thursday, and just kept rolling. An opening-round 66 had him tied for second, another 66 on Friday earned him a share of the lead, and he left the course Saturday night up by three after shooting 67.

Villegas is now the fourth player who’s still under 30 with at least three PGA Tour wins, joining Adam Scott (three) and Dustin Johnson and Sean O’Hair (three each).

“Tournaments are four rounds and I played three pretty good ones,” Villegas said. “I was lucky in one. It’s never as easy as you think. I played great the front nine, then I made a couple hiccups and missed some putts, but I stayed patient.”

Rose is still looking for win No. 1 in the U.S., though he feels like he’s getting closer.

Down by 10 at the start of the day, Rose needed a win to get into the CA Championship at Doral and enhance his chance of qualifying for the Masters, where he tied for fifth in 2007.

Rose opened with four straight birdies on his way to going out in 5-under 30 — the best front nine of the tournament — and ended up becoming the fifth player of the week to shoot 64, matching the low round on the Champion course since the Honda moved there in 2007.

He won’t play Doral. Augusta remains possible, and he admits that getting back into the world’s top 50 is preying on his mind.

“I think I’m where I am because I’ve been thinking about it too much,” said Rose, who started the week 76th in the world. “I’ve actually been listening a little bit to Camilo. He’s said ’I’m out here, I’m enjoying my golf, I’m trying to take my mindset back to when I first came out on tour’ ... and that really is the nuts and bolts of what we need to do.”

Sure enough, Villegas says he’s more relaxed than ever.

Funny how winning helps in that regard. And when it was over, he gave one last tribute to those watching in Colombia.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of people there glued to the TV, rooting me on,” Villegas said.

Text Only
Golf
  • spts - GOLFER.jpg Bradley should be a lock for Presidents Cup

    Until winning the PGA Championship, the coolest thing in golf that happened to Keegan Bradley during his amazing rookie season was getting a phone call from Fred Couples in May after he won his first PGA Tour event.

    August 17, 2011 1 Photo

  • Gindlesberger leads Southern in opener

    Billy Gindlesberger shot a one-over par 37 at Oakland Golf Club Tuesday to lead Southern to a season-opening tri-match win over Northern and Bishop Walsh in high school golf.

    August 16, 2011

  • spts - TIGER .jpg Those who know Woods’ game: He’s down, not out

    The kid standing behind 15-year-old Tiger Woods on the tee at Torrey Pines was two years older and already a hotshot himself on Southern California’s rough-and-tumble amateur golf circuit the first time he saw the look.

    August 16, 2011 1 Photo

  • SPTS-GLF-Bridgestone Fowler.jpg Fowler part of 4-way tie as Woods falters

    Rickie Fowler had eight birdies and an eagle to give himself another shot at winning. Adam Scott did well enough to stay in the lead. PGA Tour rookie Keegan Bradley got in on the action late.

    August 5, 2011 2 Photos

  • SPTS-BRIDGESTONE WOODS.jpg Tiger Woods off to strong start

    Tiger Woods appeared to face a big test Thursday in his return to golf.

    August 5, 2011 1 Photo

  • Tiger back at full strength

    Tiger Woods was on the practice range just as the sun began to rise Tuesday over Firestone, his first time on a PGA Tour golf course in nearly three months.

    August 2, 2011

  • Browne still on top at Senior Open

    Olin Browne followed a record-tying 64 with a solid 69 on Friday, to take a one-shot lead over a talent-laden leaderboard in the rain-delayed second round of the U.S. Senior Open.

    July 29, 2011

  • SPTS-2COL-Greenbrier Classic.jpg Simpson, de Jonge share lead at Greenbrier Classic

    Brendon de Jonge rode a wave of Hokie fever to a share of the second-round lead at the Greenbrier Classic.

    July 29, 2011 1 Photo

  • MM GOLF.jpg Mother Nature wins round one at Women’s Open

    Instead of teeing it up when she comes back to the Broadmoor, Cristie Kerr’s next shot at the U.S. Women’s Open will be a blast out of the bunker on the front, right side of the seventh green.
    A difficult shot. But it could be worse.

    July 8, 2011 1 Photo

  • Woods to miss British Open

    Those “minor” injuries to his left leg now have kept Tiger Woods from playing in two majors.

    July 6, 2011