Jhonattan Vegas recounts one of the toughest rounds of his season at the 2025 FedEx St. Jude Championship. Battling heat, fatigue, and playoff pressure, Vegas explains the mindset needed to stay inside the top 50 and earn a spot in the BMW Championship. From clutch birdies on 7 and 8 to a fearless approach on 17, this is a must-watch insight into the playoff grind.
So, what do they lay out for you in there? Uh, there’s a I mean, there’s a pretty good chance. Obviously, there’s still a lot of stuff to, you know, to be played and, you know, if you guys are finish that could impact the results, but it looks solid. And what what are you most proud of that you were able to do today that we talked about you needed to do? Yeah, it was a fight. I mean, it was a, you know, one of the hottest runs of the year, I would say. Um, didn’t feel great physically. You know, it’s been a long week. heat, all of it. Um, you know, didn’t feel 100% and, you know, started kind of shaky the first kind of six holes. So, you know, I knew that my best wasn’t out there. So, I just had to fight, right? And I had to get my mind on the right on the right frame. And, uh, luckily, I was able to do that and turn around, make some great birdies on seven and eight that kind of, you know, got the ship pointed the right direction. And, uh, but it was a fight all the way. I knew it was going to be that way today. That’s kind of what this this time of the year is all about, right? then you know you you know you know you’re going to have to sweat it out out here. Can you I’m how would you compare the pressure of trying to advance to next week to the pressure of trying to win a tournament? You know it’s totally different, right? I mean we have to we have to take in consideration everything that is at risk I mean or that we’re playing for right now, right? Uh with all the elevator events with, you know, with everything that is at stake by finishing the top 50. um you know it’s a massive gain uh for for next year. Um so you know usually a tournament I mean you you’re just fighting to the end and and you’re fighting hard to win and you know but um when you trying to put things in perspective who’s playing well who you need to jump what what one birdie might mean like I just had a you know a 10footer or nine footer and 17 and I’m like I mean if you start thinking about everything that that that that put mean it’s just hard to make it right. So, um, like I said, it’s just it’s just that type of round today. And, uh, you know, but I’m I’m really happy, uh, the way I finished. Can you take us through the approach on 17? You know what? I I had a really good number. I had 180 yards to that penny, which was my seven iron. Um, usually right pins are not the best for me, but I just I, you know, I knew that to be really to to have a better chance, I had to make one of birdies in the last two holes. And I just kind of tried to hit a fade and hit it absolutely perfect the way just exactly the way I was looking. Uh but it was kind of one of those shots that uh that you just have to hit at the moment and you have to risk it all at that moment. So um but uh I’m just glad I’m glad it worked out after a very up and down front nine as you said and then a bogey on 10. How important was it for you to birdie 11 and 12 to get back to under par? Well, I mean every birdie uh felt massive today. You know, obviously you know it was all about momentum, right? So, like I said, the best to to I mean, for me, it was just about staying then massively in the present and just fight and try to bury every hole. Uh just to give myself the best chance I could to, you know, to advance and um like I said, I mean, I’m very fortunate that it looks like um it’s going to be that way. Are you one of those players that tries to look at the leaderboard out there? Are you head down just trying to focus on you? No, I mean obviously you have to be aware where you are, right? Um, and uh, but at the same time, you just got to be you got to keep your your mind at task and and that’s all I was trying to do today, you know. I mean, uh, good shots, bad shots, you just got to deal with it and, uh, do your best. Then 17 obviously gave yourself some cushion, but 18’s no easy hole to try to finish on. Can you take us through kind of what you’re thinking over T? Yeah. No, 18. Obviously 18 is a little bit um a little bit of a you know complicated T- shot even though I’ve been hitting you know I hit I would say three great shots the first uh three days and you know just obviously trying to be a little bit overprotective on that uh on that shot today knowing that you know part most likely was going to be done. Bogey might have had a chance. And so I just needed to give myself a chance and hit a little bit more right than what I wanted. But I ended up with a great lie, a great angle to the green and um you know hit a really good second shot. What’ you have in your second shot? I had 184 I think but I was just trying to land it somewhere in front of the green and let the ball chase. Uh but like I said I mean just kind of making that part uh definitely felt felt massive. Felt like a like a pretty you know positive stamp for the whole year. Thank you. Congratulations. Thank you boys.
