Jhonattan Vegas, of Venezuela, watches his tee shot on the fourth hole of the Palmer Private course at PGA West during the final round of the Bob Hope Classic PGA golf tournament in La Quinta, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
LA QUINTA — Jhonattan Vegas believes his life has been one battle after another.
A battle to rise above the roughshod 9-hole oil company golf courses he played as a child in his native Venezuela.
A battle to make his way to the United States.
A battle to learn English and go to college.
A battle to reach first the Nationwide Tour and then the big leagues on the PGA Tour.
So it was that he had another battle, both external and internal, Sunday to win the Bob Hope Classic. It was hardly a shock that Vegas prevailed.
He three-putted the 18th hole in regulation to shoot 3-under-par 69 and fall into a playoff at 27-under with Gary Woodland (69) and Bill Haas (66). Then he drove his ball into the water on the second playoff hole, the 10th. But Vegas never once looked defeated.
The first Venezuelan to play on the tour made a remarkable 12-foot par save at No. 10, and he beat Woodland, whose 6-foot putt for bogey was made meaningless when Vegas’ roll went in and he pumped his fist in triumph.
Haas, last year’s champion who shot 16-under over the last two rounds, was eliminated on the first playoff with a par.
The first rookie to win the Hope in its 52-year histopry, Vegas, 26, earned the $900,000 first prize and an inaugural trip to April’s Masters. It was only his second start as an official PGA Tour member and fifth appearance overall.
He will play at Torrey Pines in the Farmers Insurance Open this week for the first time since his lone appearance in Junior World in 2002.
“Life for me hasn’t always been the best,” Vegas said. “… I feel like I’m a fighter. If I set a goal in front of me, I’m going to die to get there. I fight hard and I accomplish what I get in my mind.
“I wasn’t going to give up. I knew this was a great opportunity. Just by doing that, I won this week.”
Vegas owned at least a share of the lead after every round but the first, and he looked like he was striding to a convincing victory. He had a two-shot lead when he stepped to the 15th tee, though Haas would soon halve that with a birdie at 16.
Until the 18th hole, Vegas had been remarkably resilient. After a putting lesson on Saturday night from his father, Carlos, who told him to take a lighter grip, Vegas one-putted nine greens and produced some impressive up-and-downs.
The highlight came at the par-3 15th, when he pulled his approach shot and it nearly went in the water, the ball settling just a few yards above the canal on a steep bank. From there, Vegas pitched up to 3 feet and saved par.
Playing ahead of Vegas, Haas three-putted the 18th to remain at 27-under. Woodland lipped out a short putt at 17 to stay at minus-26. When Vegas hit his drive from the 18th tee, he held a one-shot lead.
But his drive ended up in the right bunker, he had to lay up, and he cautiously played to the center of the green. After Woodland birdied, Vegas missed a 6-foot par putt to suffer his only bogey of the day and his only 6 in a week in which he made 34 birdies and an eagle.
Vegas hardly looked crushed by the mistake, and his chip shot grazed the cup on the first playoff hole that he and Woodland halved with birdies.
“I think being positive has been a key for me,” he said., “Throughout my career, I haven’t let anything get me down. … It was rough today. Someone could have gotten down after three-putted 18, but I still had a chance. I hit the water, and I still had a chance.”
According to the Baseball Almanac, Venezuela has sent 256 homegrown players to the U.S. major leagues. Golf, meantime, has been a beleaguered and dying sport there because President Hugo Chavez is closing dozens of courses to use the land for other purposes.
Still, Vegas produced an inspiring victory by a native son. He hopes it will be noticed in his own country.
“It means everything to me right now,” Vegas said. “Just to think about winning on the PGA Tour – that’s something. … To my country, I hope this means a lot. I really hope it means change, and some people get a little different idea of the sport.”
Locals watch
-- Bill Lunde, in 121st place after shooting 74 in the first round, scored 66 on Sunday to tie for 13th at 21-under. Lunde followed his bad opener with rounds of 64-67-68-66. The winner of last year’s Turning Stone Championship birdied 15-17.
-- Pat Perez, the 2009 Hope titlist, shot four of his five rounds in the 60s, but none of them were low and he tied for 54th at 14-under. Perez shot three 69s, one 68 and a 71. Kevin Stadler, tied for 21st after four rounds, shot 75 and tied for 61st at 13-under.
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