Camilo Villegas returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in nine years by capturing the Butterfield Bermuda Championship title on Sunday in Southampton, Bermuda.
The 41-year-old from Colombia shot a 6-under 65 at Port Royal Golf Course to finish at 24-under 260 and overtake Swede Alex Noren, who had led after each of the first three rounds. Noren was the runner-up by two shots after settling for a 68.
“Tough to put in words right now, but wow, what a ride, man,” Villegas said. “You know what, I love this game. 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, too.”
Villegas’ last PGA Tour win came at the Wyndham Championship in August 2014. He entered last week’s World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico ranked No. 752 in the Official World Golf Ranking and rocketed to No. 318 when he tied for second, his best result of the season to that point.
More importantly, Villegas leapt to 75th in the FedEx Cup Fall series, ensuring he will finish inside the top 125 to retain full PGA Tour status for the 2024 season. That was a long shot two weeks ago, when he sat at No. 223.
Villegas started the day one shot behind Noren. He made six birdies without a bogey on his final trip around Port Royal, sinking three straight at Nos. 3-5 and another at the par-5 seventh.
Noren made three birdies over his first seven but tripped up with consecutive bogeys at Nos. 9-10, giving Villegas the outright lead at 22 under. Villegas would not let it out of his grasp, adding birdies at Nos. 15 and 17 to seal the deal.
Villegas has endured more than just professional adversity. His daughter, Mia, died in 2020 before her second birthday due to tumors on her brain and spine.
Villegas said his “little one (is) up there watching” him and nodded to last week’s victor in Mexico, Erik van Rooyen of South Africa, who was playing while his terminally ill best friend was on his mind.
“I know what he’s going through. I saw it with my daughter,” Villegas said. “It was just meant to be. He said it, playing for a different reason other than just a trophy and it was his time, it was his time. We hung in there.
“And here I am. I guess it was my week to be. Everything came out very good. I was very patient throughout the week and ended up winning by two.”
Noren, 41, has won 10 times on the DP World Tour but was seeking his first PGA Tour victory.
“It doesn’t really matter what you do coming into the fourth round as long as you’ve got a shot for it,” Noren said. “Changed that mindset a little bit, which helped I think today.
“But I couldn’t — a few wayward shots on the back nine, got pretty windy and it was so different from yesterday, the wind direction, so some shots played pretty tough. Just not as good a game as Camilo today.”
Germany’s Matti Schmid (67) finished third at 21 under and China’s Carl Yuan (66) was fourth at 20 under. They moved into the Nos. 120 and 125 positions in the FedEx Cup Fall, respectively, with one event remaining next week at the RSM Classic in Georgia.
Australian Adam Scott (67) and Ryan Moore (69) tied for fifth at 19 under. Fifty-year-old Stewart Cink shot a 69 on Sunday and placed seventh at 18 under, by far his best finish of the season.
–Field Level Media
