Camilo Villegas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Camilo Villegas |
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Camilo Villegas Restrepo |
| Nickname | Spider-Man |
| Born | 7 January 1982 Medellín, Colombia |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 160 lb (73 kg; 11 st) |
| Nationality |  Colombia |
| Residence | Jupiter, Florida |
| Partner | Maria Ochoa Mora |
| Career | |
| College | University of Florida |
| Turned professional | 2004 |
| Current tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Former tour(s) | European Tour PGA Tour of Australasia Korn Ferry Tour NGA Hooters Tour |
| Professional wins | 12 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 5 |
| Japan Golf Tour | 1 |
| Other | 6 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
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| The Masters Tournament | T13: 2009 |
| U.S. Open | T9: 2008 |
| The Open Championship | T13: 2009 |
| PGA Championship | T4: 2008 |
Camilo Villegas Restrepo (born January 7, 1982) is a professional golfer from Colombia. He plays on the PGA Tour, which is one of the biggest golf tours in the world.
Contents
Early Life and Golf Beginnings
Camilo Villegas was born in Medellín, Colombia. He started playing golf when he was a child. He won many junior championships in Colombia between the ages of 8 and 15. When he was 16, he made history in Colombian golf. He won the Amateur's Grand Slam in one year. This included the National Junior Championship (both stroke play and match play), the National Amateur Championship, and the Colombian Open in the amateur section. In 2001, he became only the second amateur to win the Colombian Open. Because of his success in the 1990s, the Colombian Golf Federation named him "Player of the Decade."
College Golf Career
Camilo received a scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He played for the Florida Gators men's golf team from 2001 to 2004. In his first year, 2001, Camilo helped his team win the NCAA championship. He was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year in 2001. He also won SEC Player of the Year in 2002 and 2004. He was an All-American for four years in a row. Camilo graduated in 2004 with a degree in business administration.
Camilo is known for being very fit. He says golf legend Gary Player is his role model. They even appeared together in a TV commercial! Camilo also likes to wear stylish clothes by designer J. Lindeberg. When he's in Gainesville, Florida, he often visits the university's Mark Bostick Golf Course. His younger brother, Manuel, also played golf at the University of Florida. Manuel now plays on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Professional Golf Journey
Camilo Villegas joined the PGA Tour in 2004. He officially earned his PGA Tour card for the 2006 season. He had a great start in 2006, finishing second twice and third once in his first nine events. He almost made it into the 2006 Masters Tournament in his first year. He did qualify for the 2007 Masters by playing well in 2006.
In September 2007, Camilo won his second professional event. This was the Coca-Cola Tokai Classic on the Japan Golf Tour. He won in a playoff by sinking a 20-foot putt. In June 2008, he won the Telus World Skins Game. He beat famous golfers like Greg Norman and Fred Couples.
Camilo made history at the 2008 Open Championship. He shot a score of 65 in the second round. This was the lowest second-round score ever at Royal Birkdale. In September 2008, Camilo won his first PGA Tour title. He won the BMW Championship by two shots. This win moved him to 18th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
He then won the Tour Championship, beating Sergio García in a playoff. This victory pushed him to a career-high 7th place in the world rankings. He became the highest-ranked golfer from South America. In 2008, he also joined the European Tour.
In March 2010, Camilo won his third PGA Tour event, The Honda Classic. He won by five strokes. In 2014, he won the Wyndham Championship. This was his first win on the Tour in over four years. This win earned him a spot in the 2015 Masters Tournament. It also gave him a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.
In November 2023, Camilo won his fifth PGA Tour event. This was the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. This win helped him qualify for the 2024 Olympics.
How to Say His Name
People on the PGA Tour and in the media sometimes debate how to say Camilo Villegas's name.
- In Spanish, which is the official language in Colombia, Villegas is said "bee-YAY-gahss" or "bee-JAY-gahss."
- Most people now say "bee-JAY-gahss" for his last name. His first name, "Camilo," is pronounced "kah-MEE-lo."
Personal Life and Resilience
Camilo Villegas is sometimes called "Spider-Man." This is because of his unique way of reading the golf course before he putts. He leans very low to the ground, almost touching it with his chest and head. He balances on one leg while stretching the other out.
In 2020, Camilo faced a very difficult time. His young daughter, Mía, passed away after a serious illness. The PGA Tour and many golfers showed huge support for Camilo and his family. Players wore special rainbow pins on their caps. This was because Mía loved rainbows.
Despite this sadness, Camilo decided to return to golf. He said he would look to the future, keeping Mía's memory with him. He started playing in Korn Ferry Tour tournaments. His fellow golfers welcomed him back with great support.
Amateur Wins
- 2002 Mexican Open
- 2003 Players Amateur
Professional Wins (12)
PGA Tour Wins (5)
| Legend |
|---|
| FedEx Cup playoff events (2) |
| Other PGA Tour (3) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 Sep 2008 | BMW Championship | −15 (65-66-66-68=265) | 2 strokes |  Dudley Hart |
| 2 | 28 Sep 2008 | The Tour Championship | −7 (72-66-69-66=273) | Playoff |  Sergio García |
| 3 | 7 Mar 2010 | The Honda Classic | −13 (66-66-67-68=267) | 5 strokes | Anthony Kim |
| 4 | 17 Aug 2014 | Wyndham Championship | −17 (63-69-68-63=263) | 1 stroke | Bill Haas,  Freddie Jacobson |
| 5 | 12 Nov 2023 | Butterfield Bermuda Championship | −24 (67-63-65-65=260) | 2 strokes | Alex Norén |
PGA Tour playoff record (1–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007 | The Honda Classic |  José Cóceres, Boo Weekley, Mark Wilson |
Wilson won with birdie on third extra hole Villegas and Weekley eliminated by par on second hole |
| 2 | 2008 | Tour Championship | Sergio García |
Won with par on first extra hole |
| 3 | 2016 | RSM Classic | Blayne Barber, Billy Horschel, Mackenzie Hughes, Henrik Norlander |
Hughes won with par on third extra hole Horschel eliminated by par on first hole |
Japan Golf Tour Wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 Sep 2007 | Coca-Cola Tokai Classic | −2 (68-72-71-71=282) | Playoff |  Toyokazu Fujishima |
Japan Golf Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007 | Coca-Cola Tokai Classic | Toyokazu Fujishima |
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
South American Wins (1)
- 2001 Colombian Open (as an amateur)
NGA Hooters Tour Wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 1, 2005 | Savannah Lakes Resort Classic | −21 (67-66-69-65=267) | 4 strokes | Matthew Anderson |
Other Wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 Jun 2008 | Telus World Skins Game | $230,000 | $130,000 |  Greg Norman |
| 2 | 24 Jun 2008 | CVS Caremark Charity Classic (with Bubba Watson) |
−15 (61-34=95)* | Playoff | Billy Andrade and Davis Love III, Paul Goydos and Tim Herron, Rocco Mediate and Brandt Snedeker |
| 3 | 26 Aug 2008 | Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge | $220,000 | $40,000 |  Vijay Singh |
| 4 | 8 Nov 2010 | World Golf Salutes King Bhumibol Skins Tournament | $109,800 | $17,800 |  Paul Casey |
*Note: The 2008 CVS Caremark Charity Classic was stopped after 28 holes due to heavy rain.
Other playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008 | CVS Caremark Charity Classic (with Bubba Watson) |
Billy Andrade and Davis Love III, Paul Goydos and Tim Herron, Rocco Mediate and Brandt Snedeker |
Won by 1 stroke in three-hole aggregate playoff |
Major Championship Results
Results not in chronological order in 2020.
| Tournament | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | T13 | T38 | 49 | CUT | |||||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | T59 | T26 | T9 | T33 | T70 | CUT | 74 | |||||||
| The Open Championship | T39 | T13 | T44 | CUT | CUT | ||||||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | T23 | T4 | T51 | T8 | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T35 | |||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | |||||
| U.S. Open | ||||||
| The Open Championship | NT |
Top 10 Did not play CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
NT = No tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Summary of Major Results
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 4 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 28 | 17 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 12 (2008 U.S. Open – 2011 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (three times)
The Players Championship Results
| Tournament | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | T3 | CUT | T66 | T14 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | 70 | C | CUT |
Top 10 Did not play CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
C = Canceled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic
World Golf Championships Results
Results not in chronological order before 2015.
| Tournament | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | T26 | T5 | T16 | T35 | ||||
| Match Play | R64 | R16 | 3 | R64 | ||||
| Invitational | T36 | T71 | T25 | |||||
| Champions | T51 |
Top 10 Did not play QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
Team Appearances
Amateur
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Colombia): 1998, 2000, 2002
Professional
- World Cup (representing Colombia): 2006, 2011
- Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge (representing PGA Tour): 2007
- Presidents Cup (International team): 2009
Images for kids
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Camilo Villegas
See Also
In Spanish: Camilo Villegas para niños
- 2005 Nationwide Tour graduates
- List of Florida Gators men's golfers on the PGA Tour
- List of University of Florida alumni
