Jhonattan Vegas Facts: 20 Things You Didn't Know About The Venezuelan Golfer

Jhonattan Vegas is Venezuela's most successful golfer of all time with multiple PGA Tour titles to his name and a long career at the top level. Discover more about his life and journey through the game so far via these facts...

JHONATTAN VEGAS FACTS

1. Jhonattan Vegas was born August 19, 1984 in Maturín, Venezuela.

2. Vegas started playing the game with a broomstick and a rock. He eventually started playing at a nine-hole course near his home built for oil camp employees.

3. In 2002, despite not knowing much English, Vegas left Venezuela for Houston in the United States along with his golf instructor in order to ultimately pursue a career as a pro.

4. He earned a scholarship to the University of Texas in the same year as he won three junior tournaments and qualified for the Houston Open on the PGA Tour as an amateur.

5. While a freshman at the University of Texas, Vegas helped the Longhorns claim the Big-12 Championship. The team also finished fourth at the NCAA Division 1 Men's Golf Championship.In 2006, he won the Venezuela National Amateur. The next year he would advance to the semi-finals of the US Amateur.

6. Vegas was a standout third baseman as a junior baseball player, with his hobbies including baseball, dancing and music.

7. Vegas has three brothers, with his youngest - Julio - also a pro. Julio enjoyed an outstanding college career at the University of Texas after following his brother to America, winning the 2012 NCAA Team Championship, the 2013 Big 12 Championship and being named the 2012 Morris WIlliams Intercollegiate Individual champion. Julio had also previously won the 2003 and 2004 Venezuelan National Junior Championship and was runner-up at the 2007 Venezuelan National Amateur Championship. He went on to play on the Korn Ferry Tour, among other pro tours.

8. Turning pro in 2008, he would gain his PGA Tour card for the 2011 season, becoming the first Venezuelan to ever gain a card.

9. He married his wife, Hildegard Struppek, in 2013. The pair now have two children called Sharlene Marie and Louis Alexander.

10. Vegas won in only his second start as a PGA Tour member, defeating Gary Woodland at the Bob Hope Classic on the second playoff hole.

11. His coach, Franci Betancourt, was a a three-time World Cup participant for Venezuela in 1966, 1968 and 1975.

12. Vegas missed much of the 2013 season with a shoulder injury and underwent surgery to rectify the issue. After failing to regain his PGA Tour status at the Web.com Tour finals, he satisfied his medical extension with a T3rd finish at the 2014 John Deere Classic.

13. Vegas represented Venezuela at the 2016 Olympic games, finishing T50th before doing so again at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics and ending T16th.

14. In 2016 he won the Canadian Open, defending his title the following year.

15. To date, Vegas has four PGA Tour wins in total. His most recent arrived at the 2024 3M Open.

16. He is the only Venezuelan to compete at the Presidents Cup (2017).

17. During his run to a T3rd finish at the 2019 Players Championship, Vegas made the longest-ever putt at TPC Sawgrass' legendary 17th hole. It measured 70-feet.

18. Vegas missed nearly all of the 2022-23 season due to elbow and shoulder injuries.

19. Vegas led the 2025 PGA Championship after round one. His best result at a Major was T22nd during the 2016 PGA Championship.

20. His highest OWGR is 35th.

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