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Jhonattan Luis Vegas, born on 19 August 1984, is a professional golfer from Maturín, Venezuela. He is the only Venezuelan to have earned a PGA tour card, won a PGA tour event, and represented his country in the Presidents Cup and the Olympics. Vegas grew up playing various sports but excelled at golf, becoming one of Venezuela's top junior golfers. In 2002, he moved to the United States to pursue golfing opportunities and attended the University of Texas, where he began his collegiate golf career. After turning professional in 2008, Vegas has had a successful career on the PGA Tour, with several notable achievements and victories.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Jhonattan Luis Vegas |
| Date of Birth | 19 August 1984 |
| Birthplace | Maturín, Venezuela |
| Nationality | Venezuelan |
| Residence | Houston, Texas |
| Height | 6'3" |
| Weight | 230 lbs |
| Age | 40 |
| Education | University of Texas |
| Profession | Golfer |
| Turned Pro | 2008 |
| Career Earnings | $20,737,259 |
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What You'll Learn
Jhonattan Vegas was born in Maturín, Venezuela
Jhonattan Luis Vegas, born on 19 August 1984, is a professional golfer from Maturín, Venezuela. He is a two-time Olympian and the only Venezuelan to win a PGA tour event, making him a prominent figure in Venezuelan golf.
Vegas grew up playing various sports, including baseball, but it was golf—which he played with his parents and three brothers—that he truly excelled at. He became one of the top junior golfers in Venezuela. Seeking more opportunities to improve his game and inspired by the chance to attend school for free, Vegas moved to the United States in 2002 with a golf instructor. They settled in The Woodlands, outside of Houston, Texas.
In Houston, Vegas thrived, winning three junior tournaments and qualifying for the 2003 Houston Open on the PGA Tour as an amateur. He turned professional in 2008 and played in his first PGA event as a professional at the Texas Open. In 2009, he started playing the Nationwide Tour, scoring two top-10 finishes in his rookie year. He also represented Venezuela in the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup, finishing in a tie for 12th place.
Vegas has had notable successes throughout his career, including winning his first PGA Tour event in 2011 and successfully defending his title at the 2017 RBC Canadian Open for his third PGA Tour win. He has represented Venezuela proudly in the Presidents Cup and the Olympics, becoming the first Venezuelan to do so. Despite some setbacks due to injuries in recent years, Vegas remains a prominent golfer with a strong record.
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He grew up playing golf with his parents and three brothers
Jhonattan Vegas is a professional golfer from Maturín, Venezuela. He was born on 19 August 1984 and turned professional in 2008. He played various sports growing up, but golf was the one he excelled at. He played golf with his parents and three brothers and became one of Venezuela's top junior golfers.
Vegas picked up golf using a broomstick and a rock and eventually started playing on a nine-hole course near his home, which was built for oil-camp employees. He moved to the United States in 2002 with a golf instructor and settled in The Woodlands outside Houston, Texas. He won three junior tournaments in Houston and qualified for the 2003 Houston Open on the PGA Tour as an amateur but missed the cut.
Vegas's first taste of success came in 2003 when he won the Venezuelan National Junior Championship. He went on to represent Venezuela in the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup, finishing tied for 12th place. In 2010, he won his first Nationwide Tour event at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open, finishing 7th on the money list and earning his 2011 PGA Tour card, a first for a Venezuelan.
Vegas has had a successful career on the PGA Tour, with three wins to his name, including the 2017 RBC Canadian Open. He is the only Venezuelan to win a PGA Tour event and represent his country in the Presidents Cup and the Olympics. He has also had multiple top-10 finishes and made it to the FedEx Cup playoffs several times.
Vegas's younger brother, Julio, is also an accomplished golfer. He won the 2012 NCAA Team Championship and 2013 Big 12 Championship and was an All-American Honorable Mention golfer.
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He moved to Houston, Texas, in 2002 to pursue golf
Jhonattan Luis Vegas is a professional golfer from Venezuela. He was born in Maturín, Venezuela, on 19 August 1984. Growing up, he played many sports, including baseball, but he excelled at golf, which he played with his parents and three brothers. He became one of the top junior golfers in Venezuela.
Seeing more opportunities to improve his game and a chance to attend school for free, he moved to the United States in 2002 with a golf instructor he knew from Venezuela. They settled in The Woodlands, outside Houston, Texas. He had to learn a new language, picking up golf terms and improving his English. He played at a nine-hole course near his home, which had been built for oil-camp employees.
In Houston, Vegas won three junior tournaments and qualified for the 2003 Houston Open on the PGA Tour as an amateur. He began his U.S. collegiate golf career in 2004-05, and his college career picked up the following season when he led the team in three tournaments and posted a personal-best fifth-place finish. In the summer of 2005, he won the National Amateur Championship in Venezuela. He graduated from college in 2007 and turned professional shortly after, in 2008.
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Vegas turned professional in 2008
Jhonattan Luis Vegas, born on 19 August 1984 in Maturín, Venezuela, is a professional golfer on the PGA Tour. He excelled at several sports as a child, including baseball, but it was golf—which he played with his parents and three brothers—that he truly excelled at. He became one of Venezuela's top junior golfers.
In 2002, seeking improved training facilities and the opportunity to attend school for free, Vegas moved to the United States with a golf instructor. They settled in The Woodlands, outside Houston, Texas. Vegas won three junior tournaments in Houston and qualified for the 2003 Houston Open on the PGA Tour as an amateur but missed the cut. He began his U.S. collegiate golf career in 2004-05 and graduated from college in 2007.
Vegas went on to win his first Nationwide Tour event in 2010 at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open, finishing 7th on the money list and earning his 2011 PGA Tour card—a first for a Venezuelan. He won his first PGA Tour event on 23 January 2011, defeating Tour veteran Bill Haas and Gary Woodland in a sudden-death playoff at the Bob Hope Classic.
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He is the only Venezuelan to earn a PGA Tour card
Jhonattan Luis Vegas is a professional golfer from Venezuela. He was born in Maturín, Venezuela, on 19 August 1984. Growing up, he played many sports, including golf, which he played with his parents and three brothers. He became one of the top junior golfers in Venezuela.
In 2002, Vegas moved to the United States with a golf instructor he knew from Venezuela. They settled in The Woodlands, outside Houston, Texas. In Houston, Vegas won three junior tournaments and qualified for the 2003 Houston Open on the PGA Tour as an amateur but missed the cut. He turned professional in 2008 and played in his first PGA event at the Texas Open, where he made his first cut. However, he did not earn his PGA Card at the qualifying tournament that year.
The following year, he joined the Nationwide Tour, now known as the Korn Ferry Tour, and had two top-10 finishes in his rookie year. He also represented Venezuela in the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup, finishing tied for 12th place with his partner Alfredo Adrian. In 2010, Vegas won his first Nationwide Tour event at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open, finishing 7th on the money list. This earned him his 2011 PGA Tour card, making him the first and only Venezuelan to achieve this feat.
Since then, Vegas has had a successful career on the PGA Tour, becoming the first Venezuelan to win a PGA Tour event when he claimed the Bob Hope Classic in 2011. He has also represented his country in the Presidents Cup and the Olympics, the only Venezuelan to do so in golf. Despite injuries and other challenges, Vegas has shown courage and determination in his career, notching four PGA Tour wins and earning over $19.7 million as of 2025.
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Frequently asked questions
Maturín, Venezuela.
19 August 1984.
Jhonattan Vegas played many sports as a child, including baseball and track & field.
