RISING STAR OF US PGA TOUR CAME TO ABERDEEN IN 1998

COLOMBIAN CAMILO - TIP FOR TOP
ON US TOUR - FINISHED 2ND IN
"DOUG SANDERS" at NEWMACHAR


By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Camilo Villegas, the Colombian player who lost out in a four-way play-off for the Honda Classic title on the US PGA Tour on Monday is the latest “old boy” from the Doug Sanders world junior championships, played in Aberdeen from 1981 to 2000, to make the top grade in later years.
Villegas finished second to England's Andrew Smith from Wolverhampton in the "Doug Sanders" of 1998 at Newmachar.
Incidentally, in 1997, also at Newmachar, the Doug Sanders world title was won by Australian Adam Scott, now ranked No 3 or 4 in the world, with his compatriot Aaron Baddeley – a winner on the US PGA Tour earlier this year – finishing second.
Villegas, pictured above, was born in Medellin, Colombia on January 7, 1982 so he would have been only 16 when he came over to Aberdeen for the “Doug Sanders” in the summer of 1998.
I cannot swear to that the following story concerns Villegas but I do remember that in one of the “Doug Sanders world tournaments” of the late 1990s, there was a South American youngster who arrived in the North-east without any waterproofs. Why? “I have never played golf in rain that was wet enough to need them,” was his answer.
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA TEAM PLAYER
Back to Camilo Villegas. Doug Sanders helped a lot of the talented teenagers who played in his world tournaments, first at Hazlehead, then at Deeside, King’s Links and Newmachar, to get into American colleges.
Villegas went to the University of Florida for four years, during which time he became one of the leading players on the American college circuit. He turned professional as a golfer in 2004.
He was quoted at the weekend as saying: “I’ve been working hard not only the last year but the last 12 years because I always wanted to be on the US PGA Tour. Now I’m here. I wanted to win in college and I did. I’ve always wanted to play Augusta – and I will be playing in the Masters soon. So, slowly, I am accomplying my goals.”
The American magazine “Golf Digest,” ran a feature on young Villegas – he’s actually 25 now! – this week.
Last year was Camilo’s rookie year on the US PGA Tour and he finished 38th on the money list.
HIT OR A MISS START TO SEASON
In five starts this season, he’s missed the cut three times but finished tied 2nd (at the Honda Classic) and joint 11th in the two events in which he made it through to the two final rounds.
Villegas has a lucractive contract with Footjoy and his distinctive style of defying the laws of gravity balanced on one foot while stretching his body as low as possible to examine the line of a putt features in their advertising.
“Golf Digest” posed the double question to its leading writers: “How good is Camilo Villegas and will he score his first US Tour win this year?
Here are their answers:
Bob Harig. Justin Rose is among those who probably beats Villegas, because he's been around a bit longer and has flirted with victories more often.
Jason Sobel. Name a non-winner who's been better than Villegas over the past 15 months. Bet you can't. With three runner-up finishes in his last 32 starts, I'll throw Villegas into the conversation of best player without a victory along with Bo Van Pelt, Brett Quigley, Tim Clark and Daniel Chopra.
(Colin Farquharson note: Daniel Chopra is another who has played in Aberdeen at a Doug Sanders world junior championship).
Ron Sirak. The number of times Villegas has put himself in contention in barely more than a year is as impressive as his Spiderman way of lining up putts.
John Antonini. The best player without a win is Tim Clark. After that there isn't much to choose from. Brett Quigley has earned the most money without a win. Ryan Moore and Michael Putnam are top up-and-coming players, but Villegas is just as good as they are. Camilo is already one of the top-five most popular players on the PGA Tour.
Harig. After Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and maybe John Daly, there are a lot of candidates in a popularity contest, but Villegas has already made his presence known and it is quite apparent people know who he is.
Sobel. Tough question. Let's see, Tiger and Phil are 1-2 and not going anywhere for a while. John Daly isn't the same John Daly of old, but think about the support he'd receive if he was in contention down the stretch at a major again. Same goes for Fred Couples and Chris DiMarco. Villegas is somewhere just behind those guys, but he's climbing quickly.
Sirak. Camilo is probably fourth behind Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and John Daly in the popularity stakes. Now he has to avoid becoming the male Anna Kournikova: a winless hunk.
Harig. As for Villegas getting his first win this year, I think he's still too inconsistent. He had a good chance for victory last weekend but needed a blunder by Boo Weekley to get the opportunity. He's made just two cuts this year in five tournaments.
Sobel. Last year, Villegas had three top-three results by the end of March, but didn't finish better than tied fifth for the final seven months of the season. He seems to be at his best in his adopted home state of Florida.
Sirak. One week all the pieces will fall together and Villegas will simply overpower a golf course. He won't need to win often to be a star in the eyes of the fans -- just like Daly.

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com