THE SENTRY

January 4, 2024

Camilo Villegas

Plantation Course at Kapalua

Quick Quotes

Q. Describe the round. Shot Link said only four fairways, but a lot of great putting. Does that feel like an accurate assessment of the day?

CAMILO VILLEGAS: Yeah, the driver wasn't great. A lot of these fairways just trickle to the edges there. Bad tee shot on 14. Really bad tee shot on 14. Made good bogey there. But other than that the putter was hot. I had a good feel on the lines, good feel on the speed.

Kind of slow start to the round. Not birdieing 4 after a nice tee shot.

Nice birdie on 8.

I didn't birdie 9 after being right next to the green.

So, I felt like I was leaving a few out there. Then, yeah, the putter went hot on the back nine and I made birdie on 10, 11, 12, 13.

Bogeyed 14.

Birdied 15, 16. Then come back with a nice putt on 18 to finish the round.

Q. What's feeling when you're back here after a long absence?

CAMILO VILLEGAS: It's a great feeling. It's great to be here. It's been a great off-season. It's been time to reflect a little bit on everything that has happened on the career in a good way, in a positive way. The energy has been unbelievable. It's nice to see the people care about you, people respect you, people are pulling for you, and nice to keep this thing going. I really enjoy what I do. I said it in Bermuda, sometimes you kind of fear kind of losing your job and not being able to do what we do, because I like to compete. It's nice to be here, nice to be back with the big boys, and nice to get to a good start today.

Q. Did you spend the off-season or the off weeks after the fall resting or something you were working on to prepare or how did you spend those weeks?

CAMILO VILLEGAS: I'm not the best at resting, but I went to Columbia, had a great time, we mixed a little bit of family, cycling, and a little more golf than I usually play there, which was nice. I had a chance to get my golf instructor, Jose, from Argentina, to go there for three days, worked on a little something before we came here. Yeah, I just, I did a lot of great work last year and usually I go home and kind of just get away from golf, but I didn't want to put a big -- I didn't want to put the foot on the brakes after what we were doing. The changes have been complicated, the changes have been a little tricky. They paid off at the end of the last year, but you got to stay on top of it.

Q. Wondering how familiar did it feel from the last time, nine, 10 years ago, to being out there in a competitive way today? Did you feel like the course was similar?

CAMILO VILLEGAS: You talking about this, about here?

Q. This course, yes, sir.

CAMILO VILLEGAS: Yeah, you know what, it's funny how our memories, how good they are when it comes to golf courses. Especially, I mean, I got good yardage books and I'm pretty particular about knowing my lines and all the little information out there. So, yeah, it comes back to you quick. We have seen this tournament on TV a million times, it's not a tournament that too many guys get to play often. I have won five times on TOUR and this is my fourth time here, because I won twice in the same year. It's a nice place to start the year.

Q. What did you do on 15 today?

CAMILO VILLEGAS: 15? Birdie. I hit a driver down the right side, a little bit, I was playing to the wind. My drive wasn't the longest, I wasn't going to reach, but I hit a good shot there just short of the green and had a beautiful pitch, just bump it into the hill.

Q. That seems like a long time ago.

CAMILO VILLEGAS: Yeah.

Q. The chip and the penalty?

CAMILO VILLEGAS: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I've been talking about -- no, no, we've been talking about it this week with a few guys. I was talking with Collin Morikawa in the locker room yesterday, actually. I said, Hey, last time I was here it was my birthday and I got DQ'd. And he goes, Really? What happened? And then I told him just kind of a little funky rule there and it happened. I went to bed that night, I remember perfectly, and woke up in the morning, go to get a little warm up, Kelly Tilghman is there in the gym and she says, I think he's getting DQ'd. And I'm like, Really? What's going to happen?

Anyway, they did have a nice little cake for me after I got DQ'd, so I came to grab a bite and then pack everything for next week.

Q. What kind of schedule have you set for yourself this year? Have you looked that far?

CAMILO VILLEGAS: Yeah, a little bit. I'm going to play next week. Once you're here, I think you play both, in my opinion. I like the golf course, I like the people over there.

I'm going to play Palm Springs, and then it all depends if I get in Pebble or not, so we'll see. I finished 74th, so I need four guys not to play Pebble to get in. Never know.