SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — Camilo Villegas ended a long and emotional drought when he came up with key birdies down the stretch Sunday for a 6-under-par 65 to win the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, his first victory since losing his 22-month-old daughter to cancer three years ago.
The 41-year-old Colombian went shot for shot with Sweden’s Alex Noren for five hours at Port Royal Golf Course until all Villegas had left was a tap-in par for his first PGA Tour triumph since 2014.
He stood erect, lightly pumping his fist, then looked skyward before fellow Latino players rushed onto the green to celebrate with him. Villegas grabbed one bottle of bubbly and took a swig.
The moment of release was about more than going nine years without winning.
Villegas and his wife coped with the death of Mia, who died of brain cancer in the summer of 2020. The veteran player was suddenly lost on the course and finished last year at No. 654 in the Official World Golf Ranking.