Jhonattan Vegas’ dream is about to become a reality. At the risk of putting a jinx on the former Longhorn, Vegas appears to be a lock to graduate from the Nationwide Tour to the “regular” PGA Tour for the 2011 season.
After a tie for third in last week’s Albertsons Boise Open Vegas stands No. 7 on the Nationwide Tour money list going into the WNB Classic, which begins today at Midland Country Club. Vegas has won once on the Nationwide Tour this year and has finished second twice.
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There are only six events left on the 2010 Nationwide Tour schedule, and the top 25 on the money list earn playing privileges on the PGA Tour for 2011. It is almost a mathematical certainty that Vegas will stay in the top 25.
“I’m trying real hard to not think about that,” Vegas said earlier this week on the way to Midland. “I’m excited about playing on the PGA Tour. It’s what I’ve been working for, but I’m trying to stay focused each week and each round. But I will admit that I catch myself thinking about it.”
Vegas is a native of Venezuela, and he will be the first from his home country to play on the PGA Tour. The road to the big tour is a difficult one for any golfer, but Vegas’ journey is truly remarkable.
There were few golf courses in Venezuela, and those were pretty barren. There was no instruction for Vegas when he was a kid, and he got into the game by hitting a rock with a broomstick.
Vegas fled from political turmoil in his homeland to pursue a better life in the U.S. He moved to Houston, where he found a family and a golf mentor in Franci Betancourt, a Venezuelan golf professional who had moved to the U.S. earlier also to find a better life for his family.
Vegas honed his golf game under Betancourt. He learned to speak English, and he worked hard in the classroom.
He did well enough with his grades and on the SAT exam to get into the University of Texas, where he graduated in 2008.
When Vegas arrived in the U.S., he was mostly just looking for a better way of life. But by the time he came to UT he realized that he might have a future in golf. Today, he has one.
Vegas ranks No. 3 on the Nationwide Tour in driving distance with an average of 315.3 yards. He is seventh in greens in regulation at 75.44 percent and he has banked $295,784 this season.
One of the things golf has taught Vegas is the importance of patience. But after two seasons on the Nationwide Tour, he thinks he is ready to take the next step in his journey.
“I know I have a lot more to learn, and I have a lot of room for improvement,” Vegas said. “But I am much more prepared for the tour today than I was a year ago.
“The Nationwide Tour has been a blessing for me. There are a lot of great players out here, and you have to play very well to make it. My game is much more sharp today because of my experience out here.”
Today, Vegas plays alongside a lot of golfers who had privileged upbringings, who had access to the finest facilities and instruction from the time they were in kindergarten. Vegas pretty much taught the game to himself and later got training from Betancourt. But as one golf pro once said, “That golf ball doesn’t know where you are from, or what your upbringing was, or where you had lessons or didn’t.”
Golf is giving Vegas a life he would not have dreamed possible just a few years ago, but he’s trying to keep everything in perspective.
“To be honest, when I first came to the U.S. I had no idea about golf being a profession,” Vegas said. “I was just trying to figure things out and hope to go to college. I was so fortunate not only to go to college, but to go to a school like UT. Where I am today is all because of UT. UT gave me the tools both in golf and in academics to get to where I am.”
Vegas has already heard a lot of talk about being the first Venezuelan on the PGA Tour. It is a source of pride but not something he wears on his sleeve.
“I realize that in some ways I am representing my home country, and it makes me happy to do that,” Vegas said. “But there are other real good golfers in Venezuela, and I doubt I’ll be the last to get to the tour. But once you are here, it’s all about how well you play and not where you are from.”
The next in line could be Vegas’ brother Julio, a sophomore with the Longhorns.
“He’s exactly where I was a few years ago, “Vegas said. “He’s learning how to get around in school and improving his game. He’s got a better game right now than I did at his age.”
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