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By John Reger
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (Ticker) - Now that the echoes of the trumpeting
horns have dissipated, Camilo Villegas can try and live up to why the
instruments were blaring in the first place.
The third-year pro, who was getting more buzz than a poked hornets nest
when he made his debut here three years ago, has returned to the FBR
Open - the birthplace of Camilo fever.
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"I love this place," Villegas said. "Very different than what we're
used to but the Thunderbirds put a great tournament together. The fans
are awesome. You've got to come here with a good attitude and just
enjoy it."
It makes sense that the Colombian born Villegas would adopt the people
and the tournament. They fit well together. He is good looking, a
little brash and, at 26, is at the right age to embrace the party
atmosphere.
Villegas certainly added to it during his first appearance here in
2006. White pants, skin tight shirts and a wide smile, his gallery
included many females who openly fawned at golf's new heartthrob.
He also had a peculiar pre-putting routine where he would look like he
was trying a new limbo move and the gallery dubbed him with the
nickname, Spiderman. The position is not a novelty, though it is unique
and has even spawned a humorous commercial.
"It has become kind of a trademark," Villegas said. "But I'm just trying to make putts."
He made enough of them in 2006 that he was near the top of the
leaderboard for most of the tournament, eventually finishing tied for
second, his highest finish as a pro. Last year, Villegas missed the
cut, but still had supporters securely in his corner.
"The fans have been awesome with me the last two times I've played
here," Villegas said. "But you've got to have hard skin because bad
comments are going to sneak over there. They're just trying to have
fun, so who cares?"
That is what Villegas is trying to do on the golf course. The game is
too serious for many of the guys out here and Villegas was falling into
that trap. Now instead of chasing a victory, he is waiting for it to
come to him.
"These are the best players in the world and believe me, every time I
tee it up I'm trying to win the tournament," Villegas said. "There's a
process to winning a golf tournament. I've been close, I would love to
be in contention, but I'm not losing much sleep over not winning."
Villegas certainly has the credentials to warrant winning on tour. He
was a four-time All American at the University of Florida and played in
2004 on sponsor's exemptions.
His first PGA Tour event was the U.S. Open, which he qualified for and
though he missed the cut, played well the rest of the season. He had a
tie for seventh and a 12th place finish.
In 2005 he earned his card after finishing 13th on the Nationwide Tour
money list in his first season and his arrival to the PGA Tour was well
publicized. His popularity in Columbia spurred a television station
there to start showing PGA Tour events and in 2006 GQ Magazine did a
feature story on him.
When he reached Scottsdale the already large galleries known for
boisterous behavior took an instant liking to him. His runner-up finish
showed him he was ready to play on this tour.
Since then he has two other second-place finishes, but it is at this
golf course he is most comfortable and he is a much different player
than when he made his debut here.
"The first year on tour everything is new," Villegas said. "Golf
courses are new, people you're around are new. Everything is like
reality shock."
Villegas has handled the pressure well and feels like he has learned a lot as he enters his third year.
"You start feeling comfortable," Villegas said. "You start proving
yourself that you can be out here with the big boys and just gain
experience. Experience is big in this game and two years ago, I had
none."
Villegas has both experience and confidence now and it appears that
elusive victory might soon get snatched up like so many people
expected.
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