Who is PGA Tour golfer Jhonattan Vegas? All about the Venezuelan player

Jhonattan Vegas is a Venezuelan player with 13 seasons on the PGA Tour. As of February 2024, he is ranked 436th in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) and 112th in the FedEx Cup.

Vegas was born in the state of Monagas, Venezuela, in 1984. He grew up playing golf with his three brothers and parents. Thanks to the fact that there were some nine-hole courses built by the workers of an oil company in the area near his childhood home, he was able to develop in this sport.

Jhonattan Vegas became one of the best junior players in his country. By that time, he decided to look to the United States for the opportunity to continue growing as a golfer and pursue a professional career.

In 2002, Jhonattan Vegas traveled to Houston, Texas, to work with a golf instructor. Two years later, the young man was excelling on the state's junior circuit and did not go unnoticed by the then-coach of the University of Texas men's golf team, John Fields, who offered him to join the Longhorns.

Jhonattan Vegas began his U.S. collegiate golf career during 2004-05. His college career pick came the following season, when he led the team in three tournaments and posted a personal-best fifth place finish. In the summer of 2005, he also won the National Amateur Championship in Venezuela.

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A look at Jhonattan Vegas' professional career

Jhonattan Vegas graduated from college in 2007 and turned professional shortly after, in 2008. A year later, he earned his Nationwide Tour (now Korn Ferry Tour) card, where he finished in two top 10s out of 18 tournaments during his first season.

In 2010, Vegas won his first professional victory, the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open of the Nationwide Tour. This victory plus two second place finishes and two other Top 10s during the season earned him a PGA Tour card for 2011.

Vegas' PGA Tour debut couldn't have been better, as he won his first tournament in just his second start of 2011, the Bob Hope Classic. There he defeated Bill Haas and Gary Woodland in a playoff.

However, it would take five years after this victory for Vegas to return to the PGA Tour winner's circle. It happened in the 2016 Canadian Open, where he defeated Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson and Martin Laird by one stroke. The following year, Vegas repeated his win at the Canadian Open, defeating Charley Hoffman in a playoff.

Vegas' overall performance on the PGA Tour includes 288 tournaments played with 191 cuts made. To his three victories, he adds three second places and another 26 Top 10s.

As for the Majors, Vegas has played in 15 editions with only six cuts passed. His best result was a T22 at the 2016 PGA Championship.