For Villegas, run at Doral in 2006 still the highlight of young career

Miami-area event like a major for Colombian, who was second in 2006

By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents

DORAL, Fla. -- Camilo Villegas laughed when he heard the question.

Camilo Villegas finished second to Tiger Woods in 2006 at Doral. (WireImage)

Video: Learn about Camilo
Video: Villegas talks about his run at Doral in 2006

"We're in Miami," he said with a smile and a shrug of those lean, muscled shoulders. "I mean, home is just around the corner. I can tell you that."

Maybe so, but the proximity to Villegas' native Colombia is only one explanation for the near-frenzy he created two years ago when he finished one stroke behind Tiger Woods at the final Ford Championship at Doral.

Don't forget the rugged, rock-star good looks that prompted People magazine to tab him as one of its "Hottest Bachelors" that year. Or, the J. Lindeberg clothes he wears that landed Villegas a photo spread in GQ.

Of course, the golf purists know that Villegas can hit the ball obscene distances. And once he's on the green, he lines up putts with contortions that would make a Cirque de Soleil performer proud and earned him the nickname "Spiderman."

Villegas returned to Doral this week to play in the World Golf Championships-CA Championship, and more than a dozen South American media outlets were in attendance at his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday.

Several questions were asked and answered in Spanish, with Villegas translating for the less multi-cultural in the crowd. The final two rounds of the CA Championship will be broadcast live in Colombia, reaching 2.5 million households.

Eddie Carbone, the tournament director for the CA Championship, held the same position for the Ford Championship before the World Golf Championships took center stage here. He offered Villegas a sponsor's exemption in 2005 and was prepared to do it again the following year.

Instead, Villegas, who tied for second at the FBR Open earlier that year, made the field on his own after the reshuffle of Nationwide Tour and q-school grads the previous week. But Carbone remembers distinctly that his name was left off the initial field list.

"We got all these e-mails and phone calls -- way more than a dozen -- from people in Colombia and Latin America saying that we had tricked them," he said.

Once Villegas was on site at the sprawling resort near the Miami International Airport, though, it was never hard to find him. Just look for the boisterous fans, young and old, men and many women, some wrapped in red, blue and yellow striped Colombian flags.

"The thing that was eye-opening was the crowds," Carbone said. "I remember we were up in a (hospitality area) on Friday, overlooking the bleachers at the ninth and 18th. It was cold, very late in the day, and all of a sudden, we saw flags everywhere.

"We were thinking, 'What the heck is going on?' Then we heard this awfully loud noise, and it was Camilo making a birdie putt on the ninth hole."

When Villegas finished 24th in the FedExCup standings at the end of last season, he was assured of a return trip to Doral, this time for the World Golf Championships event. Carbone wasted no time putting out a press release that the 2004 University of Florida grad would be back.

"You always want to look at different markets, and Camilo is the hometown favorite here," Carbone said simply. "We have quite a large Colombian community here in south Florida as well as Venezuelan and Cuban, of course."

The outpouring of support Villegas felt that week remains with him to this day.

"It was loud, and obviously, I was playing good," he said. "Obviously, Tiger was up there. Obviously, Tiger won the tournament -- what's new? But I've never had crowds like that before in terms of being on my side, enjoying my good shots and rooting for me.

"It was very special."

A win, of course, would have made the week even better. The four-time All-American went on to finish in the top-five four times as a rookie, and he added a pair of top-threes last season. Villegas has only missed one cut in six starts in 2008 with a tie for 13th at the Buick Invitational his best.

"I feel great with my swing," said the 26-year-old who ratee his game 9 on a scale of 10 right now. "I've been doing a lot of little mistakes, a lot of bogeys on my scorecard that shouldn't be bogeys. But (there have been) a lot of great shots and a lot of birdies.

"It's just a matter of tweaking it just a little bit, avoiding those little mistakes and putting good numbers on the board."

Villegas, who earned a degree in business at Florida, is an extremely focused man. He says he's tough on himself, but doesn't feel any undue internal pressure to get that first win. All he can do is control the process, then see what happens.

"It's a new year," Villegas said. "Past is past, and I've got to focus on the present, stick to my routine. I'm feeling good. Obviously, I've learned in the last two years a lot. Experience is important in this game, and I've just got to get good targets and hit good shots. "

And the fans will definitely be there to watch.