Camilo Villegas looked skyward moments after he brushed in his tap-in par putt at the final green for victory at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. It was the Colombian’s first win on the PGA Tour since losing his 22-month daughter to brain cancer in 2020. “My little one up there, she’s watching,” Villegas said during a post-round interview on Golf Channel.
Villegas, aged 41, scored a narrow two-shot victory over Sweden’s Alex Noren after an enthralling final round contest at Port Royal Golf Course, Bermuda. The emotional win ended a drought of more than nine years (3,374 days) since his last PGA Tour win at the 2014 Wyndham Championship.
The popular South American was ranked world No. 7 in September 2008 after he burst onto the scene with back-to-back wins at FedExCup Playoff events; BMW Championship and The TOUR Championship. He gained his third title at the 2010 Honda Classic and then waited four years for his fourth win at the Wyndham Championship. Villegas has endured a 20-year professional career that has been punctured by form loss, injuries, shoulder surgery and family tragedy. He started this month ranked 752nd in the world. He now owns five PGA Tour titles.
Villegas started the final round one shot back from Noren. He went out in 4-under 32 with four unanswered birdies including three consecutive red numbers from the third hole. Playing with fight and determination, Villegas grasped the victory with clutch birdies down the stretch at the 15th and 17th holes. He closed with a bogey-free 6-under 65 to reach 24-under.
Noren carded a 3-under 68 on Sunday to finish in solo second place at 22-under. It was his third runner-up result on the PGA Tour.
Germany’s Matti Schmid took outright third place at 21-under with his final round 4-under 67. Two late birdies moved Schmid to No. 120 in the FedExCup with the top 125 receiving full tour cards for 2024 after next week’s final event of the season.
Adam Scott was the best-placed Australian. The 43-year-old tour veteran posted a final round 4-under 67 to get to 19-under and take a share of fifth place with America’s Ryan Moore (69).
The PGA Tour heads to Georgia for next week’s The RSM Classic to be staged at Sea Island Golf Club. Canada’s Adam Svensson is the defending champion.
Final Scores
Butterfield Bermuda Championship
1. Camilo Villegas -24
2. Alex Noren -22
3. Matti Schmid -21
4. Carl Yuan -20
T5. Adam Scott -19
T5. Ryan Moore -19
7. Stewart Cink -18
Other Australians
T30. Lucas Herbert -13
T72. Cameron Percy -5
MC. Harrison Endycott
MC. Greg Chalmers
Photo credit: Marianna Massey/Getty Images
