Las Vegas, Nevada (January 24, 2011)–It's a great moment anytime the word Vegas is mentioned by mass media outlets. Even, if in this instance, Vegas is not referring to the city, but to the last name of the latest PGA Tour rookie to win a golf tournament. Jhonattan Vegas–love that name–won a PGA Tour event in only his fifth official start on the tour. And although he has no official ties to Las Vegas golf courses that we know of–he hails from Venezuela–we still deem Jhonny Vegas as our newest Las Vegas golfer, joining the 30 or so other tour pros who play golf's major tours and have ties to Las Vegas golf courses. Vegas won the Bob Hope Classic in a playoff. —By Brian Hurlburt.
"I think it means everything for me right now," Vegas told the media following the round. "Just to think about winning on the PGA TOUR, that's something. But just to make it happen is something else. And it's a crazy feeling. It was tough today to kind of just keep, stay neutral and play golf, and that's why. And to my country, I hope this means a lot. I really hope it means change. I hope it means people changing about the sport. And some people get a little different idea of the sport." Vegas defeated Bill Haas and Gary Woodland, making a par on the second extra hole.
The Las Vegas Golf Region is the home to those 30 pros who have strong ties to Las Vegas golf courses, and several of those who truly boast those ties were also in the Bob Hope event including Summerlin resident Kevin Na, who finished tied for 5th. Na, as do many of the Las Vegas pros, plays and practices at the PGA Tour's TPC Las Vegas, a resort Las Vegas golf course. Click now to view the official website for TPC Las Vegas where you can reserve your tee times in Las Vegas or your Las Vegas golf packages. A special rate of $129 is currently in effect.
Vegas isn't your typical country club PGA Tour pro, and has experienced much in his young life. "I guess life for me hasn't been always the best," said Vegas. "I've had to fight to get where I am. Just coming from Venezuela all the way here, not knowing the language, having to do with going to school, being at the school, not knowing anyone, having to fight to graduate, graduate, and then get here. So it's always been a fight. I feel like I'm a fighter and if I set a goal in front of me, I'm just going to die just to get there and just fight hard just to accomplish what I set out in my mind."
Other Las Vegas golfers in the field and finish order: residents Bill Lunde and Alex Cejka (T13),resident Dean Wilson (T22), former UNLV golfer Chad Campbell (T48), former UNLV golfer Charley Hoffman (cut), resident Alex Prugh (cut), resident Jamie Lovemark (cut), and former UNLV golfer Ryan Moore (WD). Moore said flu-like systems forced his withdrawal following an opening round of 74.