Personal information
Villegas was born Jan. 7, 1982, in Medellin, Columbia. He is 5-foot-9 and weighs 160 pounds. He attended the University of Florida and graduated in 2004 with a degree in business. He has been a professional golfer since then. He is a popular figure in his home country, and beginning in 2006 Columbian television televised 30 PGA Tour events in which Villegas played. Aside from golf, he has been portrayed in the media as an eligible bachelor. "People" magazine, for example, included him in its 2006 list of "hottest bachelors," and a GQ magazine article that same year said, "He's got a closet full of tight trousers, a set of boxer's biceps and more screaming female fans than Justin Timberlake."
Early on
Villegas has been playing golf since he was a child. He won several Colombian national junior championships between 8 and 15 years old, and when he was 16 he solidified his place in Colombian golf history when he won the Amateur's Grand Slam. The slam consisted of the stroke-play National Junior Championship; the match-play National Junior Championship; the National Amateur Championship; and the Colombian Open, in which he prevailed in the amateur category. He won that event as an amateur in 2001, becoming the second golfer to do so. The Colombian Golf Federation named Villegas the "Player of the Decade" after his amateur exploits.
College
Villegas accepted a scholarship to play golf at the University of Florida, where he earned All-America honors three times. In 2002 and 2004, he was the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. Villegas' brother Manny also played golf at the University of Florida.
The move to professional
Villegas turned pro in 2004. He played a variety of PGA tournaments that year and in 2005, winning more than $200,000 in each of those seasons. He earned his PGA Tour card for the 2006 season and got off to a quick start. In his first nine tournaments, he finished tied for second twice and tied for third once (at The Players Championship). Villegas had four more top-20 finishes that season and won $1.7 million. He won nearly $1.9 million in 2007, when he finished in the top 10 on eight occasions. His first victory on the PGA Tour was in 2008, when he shot 13 under par to win the BMW Championship. He scored his second win three weeks later with a win at The Tour Championship. As of 2009, Villegas had won seven professional events.
An international player
Villegas has played international events throughout his career but made an even more concerted effort to do so in 2009, when he received an Affiliated Membership to the European Golf Tour. He played in events of the World Golf Championship in 2008 and 2009, with his best finish a fifth-place tie at the 2009 WGC-CA Championship. Despite his desire to play on the international stage, he primarily plays events in the United States.
About The Author
Jalber is a copywriter and veteran journalist. For the last 10 years, he's been a sports writer who has covered and written about sports ranging from golf to baseball. Additionally, he's an experienced outdoors writer with a focus on hunting and fishing.
