Enrique Dimayuga, a last-minute addition to the field at the Billy Horschel Invitational Presented by Cisco on the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour, made the most of his opportunity.
The event had just a 21-man field and Dimayuga got in as the first alternate and hustled to get to the golf course.
“I was over the moon,” Dimayuga said. “I really didn’t have anything planned for this week. I said, ‘I’m going to book my flight straight away and get on over here.’”
The APGA Tour rookie, born in the Philippines and raised in London, earned his first professional victory with a 9-under 135 score in the 36-hole event at the Evermore Resort’s Grand Cypress Course in Orlando.
“It feels great,” Dimayuga said. “Definitely, trying to win is a skill. Having done that at different levels, and the competition just keeps going up and up and up as you go into the professional ranks. To start here is great. There was a lot of nerves overnight, sleeping on the lead and being in a position where there was lots of people behind me. I’m very, very glad to be able to get the job done. Proud of the way I played. A really grateful moment.”
Dimayuga, who finished his college golf career at SMU last year, banked $30,000 from the tournament's $100,000 total prize fund.
Dimayuga can probably send a thank you card to Joey Stills, who withdrew in order to compete in PGA Tour Q School First Stage, allowing Dimayuga to get in the APGA event.
“It means everything, you know, opportunities to get in high-level golf tournaments. I was just very grateful,” Dimayuga said. “It’s also a great learning experience to play in an invitational as well where it’s only the best players on this tour to be playing this week.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Last-minute addition wins Billy Horschel Invitational on APGA Tour