Jhonattan Vegas and his struggle for the PGA
Jhonattan Vegas has gone through a lot to make his way to the PGA. Spending his childhood in oil fields in Venezuela, he probably didn’t even think he would be this near to the world’s largest and richest golf circuit. The major sports in Venezuela are Soccer
and Baseball and golf is mainly for the elite class of the country.
On Sunday, the first time in the history of PGA and Venezuela golf, a player from Venezuela will attain the PGA Tour card for 2011. As the Nationwide Tour Championship comes to an end, the players that finish in the top 25 will earn the playing cards for
2011. Due to his amazing 2010 Nationwide season, Vegas will surely get a Tour card. The only doubt remaining is how high Vegas is in the money list.
Jhonattan’s love for golf is very deeply rooted. The player started playing the game when he was just a toddler. With the help of a broomstick and some rock balls, little Vegas started his miniature golf game. Most of the golf courses in Venezuela were made
by the American oil Companies. The companies had made them as recreational areas for the employees. These nine-hole courses were a place where the Americans could relax.
Jhonattan was lucky enough to have spent his growing years on the aforementioned golf courses. His father, Carlos, used to cater to the employees of the oil companies. Carlos and his wife Maritza started admiring the game and then the passion for golf spread
throughout the family. Along with Vegas, his three brothers started playing the sport with their parents as well.
When asked about his childhood, he said smiled and agreed to the broom story. He said he used to take anything he found around the house. Vegas said that his mom and dad were his real inspiration. He said that everything in my family revolved around golf.
The player also said that he was brought up in a very middle class way.
"It wasn't anything crazy," he said. "We struggled. My dad and mom, I can't thank them enough for what they did so I could play a sport. It was tough compared to a lot of people. They would take us to play tournaments, buy us golf clubs. That has always
been motivation, an incentive to get better and better."
Jhonattan arrived in America in 2002 when he was only seventeen years old. Reminiscing about that time, Vegas said he only knew about 10 words of English. Another Venezuelan professional, Franci Bettancourt, invited Vegas and four other players from the
country to live with him and pursue their golf dreams. The newbies then matriculated into a community college where they learned English ad also practiced golf.
When Vegas left for US, his parents were obviously sad. They said that even though their family was breaking apart, it was something good for Vegas’s future.
When Jhonattan was in Houston, he qualified for the PGA Tour’s 2003 Shell Houston Open. Even though he missed the cut, Vegas impressed a University of Texas golf coach and earned a scholarship. This was something very huge for the Venezuelan player. He
said that when he came to America, he didn’t even know how to speak English but after jus after six years he has graduated from college with a degree in general Kinesiology.
Vegas played in the Nationwide Tour in 2009. Last year he almost made it to the Nationwide Tour Championship since he was on 63rd position on the money list. This really motivated Vegas to improve his game and hence keep trying.
With more determination, he returned to Wichita this year and won his first Nationwide title. Vegas also had five top ten finishes this year as well. With a good sum of $321,334, Vegas is now seventh on the money list and is definitely headed for the PGA
next year.
For the Nationwide Championship on Sunday, Jhonattan’s parents will be there to see their son play. With his family there, Sunday will be a huge day for Vegas when he’s finally become a PGA player.
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