Dear 14-year-old Nico: we made it

This letter goes out to 14-year-old Nico watching the final round of the 2008 BMW Championship. To the young kid sitting at his grandma’s house so impressed by the player he is watching that 15 years later he remembers by heart the way he reacts to every good drive; that he can recreate the exact way he pulled down his yellow hat so much it covered half his face after he made a long putt that got him one step closer to victory.

In this very moment, Nico, something is changing within you.

You are watching Camilo Villegas make his final putt and win, and as he is looking up, taking in his first victory on the PGA TOUR, you are taking in the first Colombian champion on the biggest stage of golf. That is the moment you realize what you really want. It’s the moment you realize that could be you.

That will be you.

This letter is for the kid that thought that maybe he could be good enough, resilient enough, vulnerable enough to get himself out there and just keep on trying. To the kid that thought that perhaps there was also room for another Antioqueño on TOUR. Because you know what? You were right.

To you, I want to say: we did it.

Growing up in Medellín, Colombia, golf wasn’t the most traditional path to follow, but I don’t think we ever considered another way. I can’t recall a moment when golf wasn’t a big part of our life, and trust me, that’s another thing that never changes. Golf ran through our blood right from the start, from the trips to the course with dad or grandpa at age two, to the innumerable rounds we would watch with mom and grandma. It was inevitable.

However, Camilo’s win not only inspired you, so be ready to compete harder than ever for your spot at the top of the leaderboard. He made an entire generation aware of its potential, of a dream they thought they were too far removed to achieve. Making a name for yourself and earning the chance to represent your country will be tough, but you’ll make it through.

After high school, you’ll move to the United States and live some of the best years of your life playing for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. Before you know it, you’ll earn your first win on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica just one year after turning pro. And guess what? The second win will soon follow; you’ll finish second on the season-long standings to earn a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour.

That is where you will start a long tradition of practice rounds with Camilo that will follow you all the way to the mountaintop: the PGA TOUR.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Ninety events, 11 top-10s, one top-three and two international wins later, you’ll find yourself in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, fighting to secure your PGA TOUR card for the 2022-23 season. Craziest of all? Your playing partner for the first three days of the Albertsons Boise Open, the first Finals event, will be none other than Camilo Villegas.

For the first time, you’ll compete in a professional competition alongside the man that made you realize that your dreams were not too big for a kid from Medellín.

That first round will be among the most unforgettable days of your life. You’ll compete against him for the one thing you have coveted since you were a child – a place on the PGA TOUR – but at the same time you will be rooting for him, for your idol and for your fellow countryman. And the feeling will be reciprocated.

You will get to Indiana, to the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, and boy will you be exhausted. That will be your fifth consecutive week playing. But you won’t care. Not when you are that close. Then you will get a dream final round, six birdies and bogey free. And that dream round will get you to the seventh slot on the Korn Ferry Tour Finals standings, punching your ticket to the PGA TOUR.

You were right, there was room for another Antioqueño.

Your first season on TOUR will be unlike anything you have ever seen before, but you’ll be lucky enough to be surrounded by the best support system in the world. You’ll be given tough love, and you will have a learning curve. You’ll just have to learn to be patient and take it all in. And just like during every other step of the way, Camilo will be there to show you the ropes.

In your 11th TOUR start, the Puerto Rico Open, things get really crazy. You know you have been struggling with the right mindset, so you decide to focus on that and funny enough, your game will answer. You are coming from four straight missed cuts, and the last thing you expect is to start your final round leading by three. Yet there you are, and you’re emboldened by a voicemail from Camilo from the evening before, reminding you that a moment will come when you feel like the tournament is slipping away – but that feeling will be wrong. You must recognize that feeling and respond accordingly.

Camilo is correct; you will feel the pressure of what each shot could mean. You will hear fans screaming your name, celebrating with you, the leader, a Latin leader in a Latin tournament. But your life has led to this, and you’ve trusted the correct process. You’re ready to fend off challengers and stack birdies down the stretch on a windy afternoon in Puerto Rico.

In this very moment, once again, something is changing within you.

You are now a winner on the PGA TOUR.

This time Camilo is waiting for you on the 18th hole, cheering you on.

Hopefully right now there’s a kid back home watching your final putt drop, watching another Latino win on the PGA TOUR, realizing that their dreams are not too big for them.

Hopefully one day that kid will be playing by your side on TOUR.

Because we may be the second winner from Medellín, but we are most certainly not the last.