By Paul Myers
Some players on the PGA Tour struggle to find enough power to keep up on the long and challenging golf courses that the Tour visits each week. That is not the case for Jhonattan Vegas. Known commonly as ‘Johnny Vegas’, this powerful player from Venezuela is among the longest hitters on the PGA Tour. To this point, the 30 year old Vegas has one PGA Tour win to his name, which came at the 2011 Bob Hope Classic, where he shot an impressive 27 under par for five rounds. In that event, Vegas was able to overcome both Bill Haas and Gary Woodland in a playoff to secure his first title.
In the time since his win, Vegas has struggled with some injuries, specifically an injury to his shoulder. Due largely to the time he missed, Vegas has still competed in only two major championships, the 2011 Masters Tournament and the 2011 PGA Championship. While he missed the cut at The Masters, Vegas did post a tie for 51st in the PGA for his only career appearance on the weekend of a major.
Known For His Power
Golf fans who know the name Johnny Vegas likely know him for the impressive power that he takes with him on the course. During the 2015 season, Vegas is averaging an even 300.0 yards per drive, which ranks him 20th on the PGA Tour. That kind of raw power will make any players a threat simply because of the way that it allows them to challenge a golf course. It isn’t a necessity to blast long drives in order to compete on Tour, but it certainly helps.
Unfortunately for Vegas, not enough of those drives are finishing in the fairway so far in 2015. His driving accuracy percentage is only 54.31%, placing him 182nd on the Tour. The long hitters are rarely going to be ranked among the most accurate, but placing that low on the list indicates that Vegas is having to play too many approach shots from the rough. As a result, his greens in regulation percentage is low as well, coming in at just 64.21%. The power is great, but so far in 2015, Vegas has been unable to take advantage of it because the accuracy has been missing.
The Eagles Are Landing
It should come as no surprise that a player with the power of Johnny Vegas is near the Tour lead in eagles. So far in 2015, Vegas has posted 10 eagles, placing him 7th on the Tour in that category. He is no slouch at making birdies either, with a rank of 69th on the Tour.
For Vegas, the picture is pretty clear – the talent is undeniable, but consistency is going to have to be the next step toward regular success on the Tour. With ample power and the experience of already having a win on the PGA Tour, there are plenty of reasons to think that Vegas will be able to work his way up the rankings to gain entry into more major championships in the near future. Once the accuracy catches up to the power, the sky is the limit for this entertaining player.