Jhonattan Vegas’ long road back to winner’s circle at 3M Open

BLAINE, Minn. – Jhonattan Vegas paced around the 18th tee at TPC Twin Cities. Seven years since his last PGA TOUR win, the wait for the fairway to clear felt just as long. Nearby, Matt Kuchar told stories of Masters practice rounds. Vegas hadn’t been since 2018. That could change in a matter of minutes. Tied with clubhouse leader Max Greyserman, Vegas needed a birdie. He couldn’t let his mind wander elsewhere.

Up ahead, Sahith Theegala’s approach sailed into the water, a common fate at the 3M Open’s dangerous par-5 closing hole. Vegas’ wait continued, his ailing shoulder tightening by the moment.

Twelve minutes of anxious meandering and stretching later, Vegas pumped his tee shot down the middle of the fairway. His approach shot, following another lengthy wait, caught the front edge of the green but settled 96 feet away from the far-right pin location, up and over a large ridge.

The putt only traveled for 10 seconds, but every passing revolution felt like a lifetime in Vegas’ mind. He struck the ball and almost immediately implored it to slow down – his hand motions increasingly animated as the ball crested the hill and began its delicate downhill descent.

There was nothing left to worry about, though. The ball came to rest 3 feet from the hole. Vegas tapped in and secured a one-shot victory at the 3M Open, his fourth on TOUR and first since winning the RBC Canadian Open back-to-back in 2016 and 2017. He moved to 66th in the FedExCup and likely earned a spot in the Playoffs.

“It hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure,” said Vegas, who shot a final round 70 and finished 17-under.

That’s an understatement.

Vegas was determined to get back to this moment, but it was far from guaranteed. He missed nearly all of the 2022-23 season with elbow and shoulder injuries. Doctors told him he would never heal fully after a piece of bone in his elbow broke off and lodged into his elbow joint. Surgeons removed the bone and Vegas began to play again, but shoulder issues arose shortly after. Complications from the elbow injury had caused inflammation to travel up his arm and into the shoulder. He underwent another surgery in May of 2023 to address the issue, but the takeaway was the same: the injuries would linger and Vegas needed to learn to live with pain. There would be good days, like Saturday’s 63, when the body felt great and the golf swing was in perfect harmony. There would also be days like Sunday. Vegas felt discomfort in his right shoulder from the first hole to the final putt.

“It was a nightmare, but luckily stayed calm and I was able to play pretty solid and not make huge mistakes,” said Vegas.

When he did, he limited the damage. Vegas made an 11-foot bogey putt at the first and a 5-footer for bogey on the ninth. He made par at the 12th after he sprayed his tee shot left and hit a police officer. Caddie Reuben Yono noticed Vegas was visibly in pain after he bogeyed the 13th hole but still made birdies at 15 and 18.

“He always was a fighter,” said Yono, Vegas’ caddie since 2015.

“I don't know many guys able to do that out here,” said Emiliano Grillo, Vegas’ frequent practice round partner. “I don't call many people here friends and he's one of them, so that kind of tells you what he’s like."

The win secures Vegas’ status on TOUR. He had just 10 starts left on his Major Medical this season before this week but will now play out of the tournament winners category through 2026. He earned exemptions into The Sentry, Masters Tournament and PGA Championship for 2025. He is also likely to make the FedExCup Playoffs after jumping from 149th to 66th. He can secure Signature Event exemptions if he cracks the top 50 after the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Vegas had shown signs of winning form in recent weeks. He made his last three cuts, spurred by changing putters ahead of the Rocket Mortgage. He gained five strokes on the greens this week, complimenting his consistently strong ball-striking. He ranks inside the top 10 in SG: Off-the-Tee and inside the top 30 in SG: Approach.

“That's the kind of stuff that you have to do to win, so glad it worked,” Vegas said.

Grillo watched from inside the clubhouse as his friend won. The Argentinian went through a similar winless drought – nearly eight years – before claiming the Charles Schwab Challenge last year.

“It's like riding a bike. Once you learn how to win, the next time it's not harder, it gets easier,” he said. “It doesn't matter how many years in between, it's how much you want it.”

That motivation has never wavered. Vegas, 39, did not consider quitting despite his injuries. Yono said Vegas saw every doctor and tried any pill, exercise and remedy to get his body back to playing shape.

There was another motivating factor: his kids. Vegas’ daughter Sharlene was alive when Vegas won back-to-back in Canada. Photos are hanging at their home of Sharlene with the trophies, but Vegas’ younger son, Louis, had yet to see a win.

“My boy was asking me, ‘When am I going to have a picture with a trophy?’ Vegas said. “There was a big cloud on top of my head because I need to have a win for him.”

Vegas’ kids and wife, Hildegard, watched from behind the 18th and ran onto the green after Vegas sunk the final putt.

“It's even more special that they were here because a lot of times they're not. It just means the world,” Vegas said. “This is a big win for them and they're going to enjoy it more than I am, for sure.

“That's the beauty of golf, that's the beauty of the PGA TOUR. No other tour in the world provides that. Any week can change your life forever, so just thankful the win came this week.”