Vibrant Villegas shows verve and nerve

Published on Friday 18 July 2008 23:04

WHAT Camilo Villegas achieved at Royal Birkdale yesterday was a form of golfing evangelism, the kind of irresistible exhibition of verve and nerve than can result in the instant mass conversion of non-believers.

WHAT Camilo Villegas achieved at Royal Birkdale yesterday was a form of golfing evangelism, the kind of irresistible exhibition of verve and nerve than can result in the instant mass conversion of non-believers. The ancient game's reputation among heretics for dullness and tedium would be made to appear laughable almost every time the cavalier Colombian swung the club en route to an astonishing 65 on the second day of the Open championship.

The 26-year-old's accomplishment was the more stunning for having begun with a bogey at each of the first two holes, dropping him to eight-over par for the tournament and abruptly changing his priority from contending for the title to surviving the cut.

Whatever apprehension he experienced then – and he admitted afterwards that a certain trepidation had descended – would be shrugged off with the single-mindedness of a hawk in search of his dinner. Successive birdies at holes four and five would be followed by another at nine, taking him to one-under par at the turn and five-under overall.

The series of dramas he produced in the inward half would be of Bafta-winning standard. Having dropped a shot at the 13th, a 499-yard par four, Villegas would birdie every one of the five that remained – each a little theatrical work in its own right – demonstrating an admirable contempt for the gusting wind and frequently drenching rain that was supposed to render the great links virtually unplayable.

As the seemingly impossible materialised in front of an enthralled gallery, the thought occurred that even Tiger Woods, convalescing at home in Florida, would be watching, initially in disbelief, then in awe as the young South American completed his day's work.

His score was, after all, achieved in the kind of weather conditions Tiger himself has yet to master, similar to those that prevailed on the third day at Muirfield six years ago and brought the greatest player in the game to his knees as he racked up an 81.

It should be realised, too, that Villegas is playing in his first Open, although he revealed afterwards that, earlier in his career, he had competed in two British Amateur championships, at Hoylake and Royal County Down, in the process falling in love with links golf.

"Hoylake and Royal County Down are also great links courses, like this one, and I love playing over here," said Villegas, whose fluent command of colourful and vibrant English betrays the years he has spent in the United States, first as a college student in Florida and, subsequently, as a member of the PGA Tour.

"It's the imagination and the range of shots you need that makes this kind of golf so funky. I don't mean that in a bad way, but just to show how different it is from what we're used to in the States."

By way of illustration, Villegas chose the 18th hole, where his long second shot to the green hit the flag and rolled away, stopping 25 feet from the hole.

"Eighteen was interesting," he said. "I hit driver a little bit left, left rough, not a great lie. I believe I had 176 yards to the pin and I hit pitching wedge.

"That tells you how funky it is to play golf around here. The wind makes that possible.

"You play a round of golf here where you can hit a wedge 180 yards and, on another hole, take a six-iron for 110 yards. So you need imagine and patience. Let me tell you, when you get on the first tee, you never think about a score. You just think about every single shot you hit, because you have no idea how bad it can get.

"When I went to eight over after two holes, I'm thinking, c'mon, just grind it out and make the cut. Now I'm right in the golf tournament.

"Yesterday, I took 34 putts, today I took 23. Like I said, it's funky."