8 Mar 2010

Villegas claims Honda Classic title

4:44 pm on 8 March 2010

The Colombian golfer Camilo Villegas kept his cool to win his third PGA Tour event with a five-shot victory over American Anthony Kim in the Honda Classic in Florida.

The 28-year-old went into the final round with a three-shot lead and he swiftly doubled that advantage by producing four birdies from the first 10 holes in unusually breezy and mild weather.

However Villegas, nicknamed 'Spider-Man' for the elastic-like flexibility he displays lining up putts, nearly lost his grip on the lead with three bogeys on the tougher back nine.

But with his closest rival Kim bogeying the penultimate hole, Villegas regained his groove, avoiding trouble at the tricky 17th and finishing his round in style with a 19-foot birdie putt.

The Colombian finished 13-under-par for the week after carding a two-under in the final round for his first PGA Tour win since September 2008.