Jhonattan Vegas

Exempt status

• PGA TOUR: Top 125 in 2018-19 FedExCup standings (thru 2020-21)

JOINED TOUR

• PGA TOUR: 2011

PGA TOUR Victories (3)

• 2011 Bob Hope Classic
• 2016 RBC Canadian Open
• 2017 RBC Canadian Open

Korn Ferry Tour Victories (1)

• 2010 Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open

International Victories (1)

• 2010 Argentina Open

PLAYOFF RECORD

PGA TOUR (2-0)

• 2011 Defeated Bill Haas, Gary Woodland, Bob Hope Classic
• 2017 Defeated Charley Hoffman, RBC Canadian Open

National Teams

• 2009, 2016, 2018 World Cup
• 2016 Summer Olympics
• 2017 Presidents Cup

Personal

• His coach, Franci Betancourt, was a a three-time World Cup participant for Venezuela in 1966, 1968 and 1975.
• Knew very little English when he initially arrived in Houston.
• Picked up the game by playing with a broomstick and a rock. Eventually began playing at a nine-hole course near his home built for oil-camp employees.
• Was a standout third baseman as a junior baseball player.

Special Interests

• Movies, baseball, dancing, music, scuba diving, working out

Career Highlights

2020 Season

Recorded one top-10 and finished the season No. 139 in the FedExCup standings, ending a streak of four consecutive appearances in the FedExCup Playoffs. Made nine cuts in 17 starts, highlighted by a T9 at the Puerto Rico Open.

• Puerto Rico Open: Shot a final-round 62 at the Puerto Rico Open (T9), the first sub-63 score in tournament history. Made 11 birdies in the final round, making more than 10 in a round for the first time in his career.

2019 Season

Qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs for the fourth consecutive season and sixth overall, finishing No. 76 in the FedExCup standings. Season included 15 made cuts in 23 starts, highlighted by three top-10s.

• John Deere Classic: Opened the John Deere Classic with rounds of 67-62 to hold the 36-hole lead before finishing T37. Marked his sixth 36-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR and first since THE NORTHERN TRUST in 2017 (T3).
• THE PLAYERS Championship: Made history at THE PLAYERS Championship with the longest made putt at No. 17 (69 feet, 7 inches). Surpassed Bernhard Langer who held the record at 59 feet 9 inches (2008/R2). After an opening-round 72, closed with three rounds in the 60s, highlighted by a 6-under 66 in the final round, one of two bogey-free final rounds (J.T. Poston) to finish T3. Marked second top-10 in seven starts at THE PLAYERS Championship.
• Waste Management Phoenix Open: In his fifth start at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and first since 2015, posted four sub-par scores to finish T10 at 10-under 274.

2018 Season

Advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs for the fifth time, finishing No. 95 in the FedExCup after a missed cut at the Dell Technologies Championship. In 27 starts, made 20 cuts with five top-25s and one top-10.

• Sentry Tournament of Champions: With four under-par rounds, finished T7 at the winners-only Sentry Tournament of Champions, his first top-10 in his first five starts of the season.

2017 Season

Banner year on the PGA TOUR included four top-10 finishes in 29 starts, highlighted by his third career TOUR title at the RBC Canadian Open. Advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs for a fourth time, where he competed in all four events. Ended his season ranked a career-best 23rd in the FedExCup standings. Became the first player from Venezuela to compete in the Presidents Cup.

• Presidents Cup: After qualifying to represent the International Team in his first Presidents Cup, posted a 1-4-0 record while playing in all five matches at Liberty National. Teamed with Adam Scott (twice), Emiliano Grillo and Hideki Matsuyama over the first three days before claiming his lone match victory in Sunday Singles with a 2-and-1 win over Jordan Spieth.
• THE NORTHERN TRUST: After sharing a four-way tie for 36-hole lead, posted bogey-free, final-round 65 to finish T3 at 9-under 271 at THE NORTHERN TRUST to move from No. 29 to No. 10 in the FedExCup. Also passed Si Woo Kim in the Presidents Cup International Team standings to sit at No. 8, solidifying his inclusion on team. Improved his performance each year he's played THE NORTHERN TRUST (2011/70th, 2014/T66, 2016/T22, 2017/T3).
• RBC Canadian Open: Defeated Charley Hoffman in a sudden-death playoff to successfully defended his RBC Canadian Open title, securing his third PGA TOUR victory in his 156th start at the age of 32 years, 11 months and 11 days. Began final round three strokes back of solo third-round leader Hoffman. On the first extra hole, the par-5 18th, hit his second shot from a fairway bunker to the greenside rough and nearly chipped in, leaving himself with a 1'4" birdie putt. Hoffman had laid up on his second shot and hit his third shot into a greenside bunker. When he failed to hole the bunker shot, the victory was secured. Became first repeat winner of the RBC Canadian Open since Jim Furyk (2006-07) and the fourth consecutive international winner of the event (Jason Day/2015; Tim Clark/2014). Playoff was his second win in extra holes (2011 CareerBuilder Challenge). 72-hole total score of 21-under par 267 at Glen Abbey was one stroke shy of the record at Glen Abbey (Tiger Woods/2000). Entered the week on the heels of five consecutive missed cuts. Tied Gary Woodland for total birdies made during the week, with 27. Despite a field total of 71 eagles, Vegas failed to record a single eagle in any of his rounds.
• The Honda Classic: After making The Honda Classic cut on the number at even-par 140, rebounded with weekend scores of 69-64 to finish T4. His 64 on Sunday was the lowest score of the final round and included his second career ace. The hole-in-one came at PGA National's 15th hole and was only the second one ever in tournament play at the first hole of the "Bear Trap." In round one, Scott Stallings made the first. Both Stallings and Vegas earned 2017 Honda C-RVs for the feat.
• OHL Classic at Mayakoba: In his sixth start at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, posted scores of 69-67-65-69--270 (-14) to finish T10 with Adam Hadwin and Emiliano Grillo at El Camaleon GC in November.

2016 Season

Advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs for the third time in his career, making it to the TOUR Championship for the first time in the No. 29 position on the FedExCup standings. Finished T24 at East Lake to end his season No. 29 in the FedExCup standings. Recorded 12 top-25 finishes from 27 starts. Of those, four were top-five showings, including a win at the RBC Canadian Open. Advanced to the TOUR Championship for the first time in his career, at No. 29 in the standings.

• Olympic Men's Golf Competition: Represented Venezuela when golf returned to the Olympics for the first time since 1904 in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Finished T50 in 60-player field.
• PGA Championship: Finished T22 in his second PGA Championship.
• RBC Canadian Open: Reeled off five straight birdies on Nos. 2-6 in the final round of RBC Canadian Open en route to an 8-under 64 and one-stroke win, his second on the PGA TOUR in his 128th start at the age of 31 years, 11 months, 5 days. Also birdied his last three holes for the 12-under 276 finish after beginning the day five strokes back at 4-under 212. Marked the second time posting back-to-back top-10 finishes (2011 CareerBuilder Challenge win, T3 at 2011 Farmers Insurance Open). Jumped from No. 77 to No. 24 in the FedExCup standings. Win also earned him a spot in the field at the PGA Championship the following week, an event for which he was not previously eligible. Finished T22 in his second PGA Championship.
• Barbasol Championship: Opened up a six-shot lead through 36 holes at the Barbasol Championship with rounds of 65-60 but faded on the weekend with back-to-back rounds of 72 for a T4 finish - his fourth top-10 of the year. Despite a third-round 1-over 72, took a three-shot lead into the final round. During a second-round 60, played a six-hole stretch from Nos. 12-17 in 8-under, going birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie-hole-in-one on his way to a 28, tying the second-lowest nine hole score of the season.
• Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Opened with an 8-under 64 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans to share the first-round lead with eventual-champion Brian Stuard. Closed with 69-70 in the rain-shortened event to finish T5, his second top-five of the season.
• Sanderson Farms Championship: Posted a second top-10 at the Sanderson Farms Championship when he finished T4 with four other players.
• Frys.com Open: Opened the season with a T10 at the Frys.com Open.

2015 Season

Made 27 appearances on the PGA TOUR, resulting in 18 cuts made but only one top-25 finish, which came at Farmers Insurance Open (T11) in February. Finished 153rd on the FedExCup points list. In the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, recorded finishes of T37, T12 and T39, which placed him on the Finals bubble spot of No. 25 entering the finale at TPC Sawgrass. A pair of 71s resulted in him missing the cut by two shots at the Web.com Tour Championship cut. Dropped nine spots to No. 34 on the Finals money list.

2014 Season

Made 16 of 23 cuts on TOUR, with two top-10s. Advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time since 2011. Finished T66 at The Barclays to end his season at No. 115 in the FedExCup standings.

• Wyndham Championship: Finished T8 at the Wyndham Championship to secure a spot in the FedExCup Playoffs. Entered the Greensboro tournament at No. 121 in the standings.
• John Deere Classic: At the beginning of the season had 21 events to earn $595,483 under a Major Medical Extension. Thanks largely to a career-low-tying, 8-under 63 in the third round of the John Deere Classic, finished T3 and claimed his best finish since the 2011 Farmers Insurance Open (T3). With three events remaining in his Major Medical Extension, began the week at TPC Deere Run needing $281,927 or 104 FedExCup points. The T3 netted him 163 points, thus extending his exemption through the remainder of the season. Rounds of 69-68-63-65 marked his first time to post four consecutive rounds in the 60s since the 2011 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

2013 Season

Missed the cut in all three of his PGA TOUR starts before missing the remainder of the season with a left-shoulder injury. Had surgery in South Carolina in March and missed the next six months. Missed the cut at both the Chiquita Classic and the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational in the next two weeks.

• Hotel Fitness Championship: Returned to action at the Hotel Fitness Championship, the first event of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Finished T43 in Indiana.

2012 Season

The only player inside the top 125 in the Regular Season FedExCup standings who was knocked out of the FedExCup Playoffs in the final week. He entered the Wyndham Championship positioned at No. 120 in the standings but a missed cut, eliminating him from the Playoffs, at No. 126. Heath Slocum moved from No. 128 to No. 124 in Greensboro.

• AT&T National: Finished T4 at the AT&T National at Congressional CC. Was the only player in the field with all four rounds at par or better.
• THE PLAYERS Championship: In his second start in at TPC Sawgrass and THE PLAYERS Championship, finished T7, a year after missing the cut in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. It was his first top-10 on TOUR since a T5 at the 2011 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

2011 Season

The first PGA TOUR member from Venezuela enjoyed an outstanding rookie year on the PGA TOUR, with three top-10 finishes in 25 starts, highlighted by a playoff win in California.

• World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions: Enjoyed his top World Golf Championships performance when he finished 10th at the HSBC Champions in early November in Shanghai on the strength of weekend rounds of 65-68.
• Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open: Did not crack the top 10 until 22 starts later. In his bid to win in the city that shares his last name, finished T5 (his third top 10 of the season) at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. Shared the lead after each of the first two rounds with scores of 67-63, with weekend rounds of 69-68 leaving him six strokes behind champion Kevin Na.
• Farmers Insurance Open: Finished T3 at the Farmers Insurance Open, with four rounds in the 60s (69-69-69-68). With the opportunity to tie Bubba Watson and grab a share of the lead on the 72nd hole, hit second shot on the par 5 into greenside water hazard and made bogey to fall from contention. One of just two players (Phil Mickelson) to record all four rounds in the 60s on the week, the first players to do so at Torrey Pines since 2001. First rookie to lead the FedExCup standings at any point of a season.
• Bob Hope Classic: Defeated Gary Woodland at the Bob Hope Classic on the second playoff hole (No. 10) at the Palmer Private Course PGA West with a miraculous par after hitting tee shot into a water hazard. Hit approach shot to 13 feet after penalty drop and drained the putt for a par 4, while Woodland was unable to get up-and-down from a greenside bunker. Defending champion Bill Haas was eliminated on the first playoff hole. On the week, posted rounds of 64-67-67-66-69–333 and held a share of the lead following rounds 2-4. Won in his second start as a PGA TOUR member and fifth career start on the TOUR. First rookie to win in the 52 year history of the Bob Hope Classic and just the third rookie to win on TOUR since 2008. Joined Arnold Palmer (1960) and Charley Hoffman (2007) as the only players to win the Bob Hope Classic in their first start. Dating to 2002, Pat Perez (2009) and Vegas are the only players to win the Bob Hope Classic after playing the first round on the Palmer Private Course at PGA West. Seventh first-time winner of the Bob Hope Classic and the fourth in the last five years. Previous first-time winners include: Bill Rogers (1978), Craig Stadler (1980), Donnie Hammond (1986), Charley Hoffman (2007), Pat Perez (2009) and Bill Haas (2010). The last three-man at the Bob Hope Classic was in 1989 when Steve Jones defeated Sandy Lyle and Paul Azinger.

2010 Season

Made 23 starts and had a win, two seconds and a third-place finish among his 15 made Korn Ferry Tour cuts. Also ended the year T3 in Driving Distance, with an average of 312.9 yards per drive.

• Argentina Open: Late in the season on the Tour de las Americas, he cruised to a six-stroke victory over Andres Romero at the Argentina Open.
• Albertsons Boise Open Pres'd by Kraft: Added a T3 at the Albertsons Boise Open, finishing at 17-under and four back of winner Hunter Haas. The payday pushed his season earnings to $295,784 and kept him securely at No. 7 with six events remaining.
• Utah Championship Presented by Utah Sports Commission: After his win in Wichita finished T2 in Utah. Was one of just two players to post all four rounds in the 60s. A pair of 67s on the weekend led to his fourth top-10 of the year.
• Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open: Entered the final round at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open six strokes behind and shot a final-round 64 to take the clubhouse lead. Finished his round 90 minutes before the leaders. His one-stroke advantage held up when Steven Bowditch and Roberto Castro came to the par-5 18th hole at Crestview CC needing birdies to force a playoff. Bowditch double-bogeyed and Castro made par. The victory, worth $103,500, was a career-best and moved him to No. 7 on the money list at the time.
• Melwood Prince George's County Open Presented by Under Armour: Three starts later he recorded his second top-10 finish, at the Melwood Prince George's County Open. Was T16 going into the weekend and shot 66-68 to finish T7.
• South Georgia Classic Pres'd by First State Bank and Trust Company: In his fourth career start, at the South Georgia Classic, he finished second, one stroke back of winner Ewan Porter, which vaulted him from No. 147 to No. 14.
• Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular: In March, made his second PGA TOUR cut, with a T24 at the Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular. Playing on a sponsor's exemption, was in striking distance of third-round leader Kevin Streelman, five strokes back, until a final-round 74 ended his chances.

2009 Season

Ended his rookie season on the Korn Ferry Tour at No. 63 on the money list. Made the cut in 10 of 18 starts, with a pair of top-10 finishes. He had never played in a Korn Ferry Tour event prior to 2009. Turned pro in October 2008.

• OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup: Skipped the Korn Ferry Tour's Albertsons Boise Open and the WNB Golf Classic in September to play in the OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup qualifier in his home country of Venezuela. Partnered with Alfredo Adrian and finished second to earn a spot in the 28-team field in China. In Dongguan, China, Venezuela finished T12 at the team event.
• Utah Championship Presented by Utah Sports Commission: Posted four sub-par scores to finish T7 at the Utah Championship.
• Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open: Led or held or a share of the lead in the first three rounds of Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open before carding a 3-over 74 in the final round to finish T4. It was his first career top-10 performance.
• BMW Charity Pro-Am: Put his name in the record book when he posted a 7-under 28 in the second round of the BMW Charity Pro-Am. Carded a 64 on the day and went on to finish T25 in South Carolina.

2008 Season

• Valero Texas Open: Was the low Monday qualifier for the Valero Texas Open, where he posted four rounds in the 60s and finished T36, his first made PGA TOUR cut.

2003 Season

• Shell Houston Open: Qualified for the Shell Houston Open as an amateur, but missed the cut in his first PGA TOUR start.

Amateur Highlights

• Four-year letterman at the University of Texas. Won the Venezuela National Amateur in 2006. Advanced to the semifinals of the 2007 U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, winning four matches, before falling (4 and 3) to eventual-champion Colt
• Was a top junior in Venezuela when he left for the United States in 2002.