Pro is flawless at Sentry, minus 1 funky hook

We’ll begin with the nice. There was a lot of it, in spite of everything. 

9 birdies on Thursday. An eight-under 65 on the Plantation Course at Kapalua. A share of the lead when he completed his opening spherical on the Sentry, the PGA Tour’s season-opening occasion. Camilo Villegas’ day was as flawless because the climate in Maui. 

Really, most all the pieces has been fairly fantastic of late for the 41-year-old Colombian. He’s taking part in on this week’s kickoff, reserved for numerous excessive finishers from a yr in the past, after a win in November at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, his first victory in 9 years. And to the victor has gone the vibes.

“It’s an important feeling,” Villegas stated. “It’s nice to be right here. It’s been an important offseason. It’s been time to mirror a bit of bit on all the pieces that has occurred within the profession in a great way, in a optimistic approach. The power has been unbelievable. It’s good to see the individuals care about you, individuals respect you, persons are pulling for you, and good to maintain this factor going. 

“I actually get pleasure from what I do. I stated it in Bermuda: Generally you form of worry form of shedding your job and never having the ability to do what we do, as a result of I prefer to compete. It’s good to be right here, good to be again with the large boys, and good to get to an excellent begin at this time.”

All good. 

Which makes what went down on the 14th tee all of the extra placing. 

That was unhealthy, Villegas stated. 

“Actually unhealthy,” he added.

Forward of it, Villegas had birdied 8. And 10. And 11. And 12. And 13. He’d moved right into a share of the lead. On the 290-yard, par-4 14th, Villegas talked together with his caddie forward of his tee shot on the risk-reward gap. He went with a 3-wood. He hit. 

His ball went left. 

It was low. 

It completed someplace within the bushes. The PGA Tour Dwell broadcast initially flashed that his ball carried 141 yards, then later listed it at 228 yards. 

Again on the tee, Villegas raised each of his arms ahead in frustration and rapidly dropped them. He murmured.   

“Oh no,” an announcer stated on the PGA Tour Dwell broadcast. 

“Oh my gosh,” one other announcer stated.  

“… That was only a lifeless smother.”

“That’s in that deep stuff,” one other announcer stated. 

From there, Villegas dropped. Up forward had been taking part in companions Brian Harman, whose 265-yard tee shot was in need of the inexperienced, and Eric Cole, whose 276-yard tee shot was within the left greenside bunker. 

“The yardage books have 1,000,000 sprinklers in it,” an announcer stated on the PGA Tour Dwell broadcast of Villegas’ ball. “I don’t know if there’s one over there. He’s approach right down to the left.”

He ultimately bogeyed. Shot three was a pitch that hit the inexperienced’s false entrance and trickled again to the golf green. Shot 4 was a pitch to 4 ft. Shot 5 was a putt. 

Then Villegas was good once more. 

He birdied 15. He birdied 16. He birdied 18. 

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Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Journal. In his function, he’s answerable for modifying, writing and growing tales throughout the golf area. And when he’s not writing about methods to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native might be taking part in the sport, hitting the ball left, proper and quick, and consuming a chilly beer to scrub away his rating. You’ll be able to attain out to him about any of those matters — his tales, his sport or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com.