Camilo Villegas Wins in Bermuda with Baby Mia Watching on From Above

Camilo Villegas is a name that avid players of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2014 would certainly recognise. Villegas was ‘Spider-Man’ – given the name due to his unique way of reading putts, lying flat on the green to judge the break.

That’s because 2014 was the last time he won a PGA Tour event, at the Wyndham Championship. It was his fourth win on the Tour, after cementing his place in the World’s top 10 some six years earlier. 2014 was well before starting his family, and also before tragically losing his daughter Mia at only 22 months old to cancer.

Baby Mia died in July 2020, and her legacy lives on in the form of Mia’s Miracles, a company that assists families with children in Florida who are unfortunate enough to contract illnesses like hers.

How do you celebrate your first PGA Tour win in over nine years?

Camilo Villegas has the answer. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/nvQyqXpWJV

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) November 12, 2023

Fast forward to November 2023, and Villegas is in the hunt at the World Wide Technology Championship, after an opening pair of 64s. He narrowly missed out on victory due to a back nine 28 from Erik van Rooyen – despite everyone in the golfing world rooting for Camilo’s success.

This week, Villegas is the champion at the Butterfield Bermuda Classic, besting the field at -24. He has moved on, with Mia in his heart but equipped with the mindset of the steely competitor of old, to return to some of his best golf in a decade. He said of the victory:

“I love this game. It has given me so many great things – but this game kicks your butt. Life has also given me so many great things and in the process has kicked my butt”.

The analogy with life is apt for someone like Villegas, who has seen the ups-and-downs of golf after reaching 7^th in the world rankings, before falling all the way down to 227^th in the FedEx Cup rankings for this season, listed at 700/1 only a week ago. He has also been on the receiving end of the worst scenario for any parent. But Villegas continued to look forward on all fronts  – with his ‘little one’ watching from above, and confidence in his corner after instructor Jose Campra told Camilo he could win again.

He became a father to son Mateo in December, and now has a fifth PGA Tour victory under his belt. ‘Spider Man’ will have felt far from home during his hellish journey back to the winner’s circle – but he has struck back with authority.

Cover Image via Golf Magazine