Columbia’s Camilo Villegas shot an 8-under par 64 on Thursday to grab an early share of the first-round lead with American Michael Kim at the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico.
Starting on the back nine in the morning wave, the 41-year-old Villegas carded eight birdies in a bogey-free round at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante. A birdie on his 17th hole of the day pulled Villegas even with Kim, whose 64 earlier in the day included nine bogies and a lone bogey.
Villegas is a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, but the most recent of those came in 2014. Despite embarking on his announcing career earlier this year, Villegas said he has been working hard on his game with new instructor Jose Campra.
“It’s been a slow year from a performance point of view, but it’s been a very hectic year from a working (one), so there’s been a lot of work there,” he said. “It’s always nice to see a low score.”
Kim, 30, believes the winning score come Sunday will be in the 20s (under par), so he needs to keep his foot on the gas.
“It’s definitely a second-shot golf course,” he said. “You can use a lot of bowls to your advantage if you hit it in the right spots. You know, you need some good iron swings.
With the afternoon still to go on the course, Kim and Villegas had plenty of pursuers.
That included Matt Kuchar and Cameron Young, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 17. They were part of a trio of players who finished the morning wave at 7 under. A group of eight players another shot off the pace included Luke List, who won earlier this fall at the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Sahith Theegala is playing in his final official event of 2023. He opened with a 2-under 70 on Thursday.
Michael Block, the teaching pro who finished 15th at the PGA Championship, opened with an even-par 72. Maverick McNealy shot a 2-over 74 in his return from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him since June.
NOTES: The tournament moved to Los Cabos after being held in Riviera Maya for the past 16 years. … Defending champion Russell Henley is not in this week’s field. … This is the fifth of seven events of the FedEx Cup Fall that finalizes eligibility for the 2024 season. Nos. 1-50 after the Tour Championship locked in their positions. Nos. 51-60 after the Fall series will qualify for two signature events next year: the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational. The top 125 will be exempt into full-field events and The Players Championship, while Nos. 126-150 will earn Korn Ferry Tour status and conditional status on the PGA Tour next year. … Winners during the Fall series receive world rankings points, a two-year PGA Tour exemption and invitations to next year’s Tournament of Champions, The Players Championship, the Masters and the PGA Championship.
–Field Level Media