Some 53 million people live in Columbia and one of a dozen countries in South America.
Columbia is fourth largest in size behind Brazil, Argentina and Peru
However, there is just around 50 golf courses in Columbia while it is believed only 35,000 people have an official golf handicap.
Undoubtedly, Columbia’s best golfer is Camillo Villegas, a five-time PGA Tour winner and with seven other victories in his pro career while he’s contested some 28 major championships including best of a T4th at the 2008 PGA Championship after also finishing T9th in the US Open that same year.
Up until last week the 42-year-old Florida-based Villegas was the highest-ranked Columbian on the World Rankings at No. 261 and with a career high of No. 7 in March 2009.
Columbia boasts 5⃣3⃣m citizens, has just 5⃣0⃣ ⛳️ & now a new @OWGRltd top-ranked
Nico Echavarria @nicolas_ech 2nd PGAT & lowers @TigerWoods #ZOZOCHAMPIONSHIP record & will now join ‘TW’ 2025 @TheMasters
PGAT
✅ @TOURMISS pic.twitter.com/dvvTa579u2
— Golf & Science News (@TOURMISS) October 28, 2024
Now the country reknowned for Caribbean beaches and stunning snow-capped Andean mountain peaks boasts a new OWGR top-ranked – Nico Echavarria.
Victory in Sunday’s ZoZo Championship has seen the 30-year-old, and also Florida-based Echavarria leap-frog Villegas in jumping 102 places to be the new World 102nd.
Echavarria brilliantly held on to birdie the last in a closing 67 for a 2o-under par one shot victory at the PGA Tour’s ZOZO Championship in Japan, and in the process not only capture a second PGA Tour triumph in some 20 months but eclipse Tiger Woods’ ZoZo victory tally of 19-under par that secured Woods a PGA Tour equal record of 82 PGA Tour victories.
“It’s incredible to win a tournament that Tiger’s won,” Echavarria said.
“This is my second victory, so I just need 80 more victories to catch him. I’m on my way, though.”
Echavarria’s win earned is a cool $1.53m, a virtual three-year Tour exemption till the end of the 2026 season while he’ll receive near year’s end a letter in the mail post-marked Augusta, GA and will also be exempt into next May’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
He will also begin his new season at ‘winners only’ The Sentry in Maui and tee it up at TPC Sawgrass for The Players in March.
But nothing excites him more than going to The Masters for the first time and, if my research is correct, he will become only the third Columbian-born to tee-up in the Masters – Sebastian Munoz (2020 and ’21) and Villegas (2007-2011, 2015 and 2024)
“I’m very excited to go to Augusta for the first time. I’ve never been,” Echavarria said.
“I was waiting to win myself that trip before going, and we’ve done that, so we’re going to be very happy to play the Masters in a couple of months.”
Well done, Nicco and see you at Augusta National
