NEWBURGH, Ind. – Camilo Villegas spent two days in Charlotte earlier this week before flying to southern Indiana for the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance.

Villegas is an captain’s assistant for Trevor Immelman’s International Team at this month’s Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club; Captain’s Pick selections will be announced this coming Tuesday.

In the meantime, Villegas is motivated to improve his PGA TOUR status via the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, and his play Friday went great lengths toward that goal.

Villegas carded 10-under 62 in the second round at Victoria National GC, matching his personal best across 417 PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour starts. It also set the course record at Victoria National, which Ben Martin matched later in the afternoon.

Villegas, 40, entered the week at No. 66 on the Finals Eligibility Points List; he made the cut in both the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron (solo 67th) and Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship (T62) but finished near the back of the pack.

The four-time PGA TOUR winner stands 11-under through two rounds in southern Indiana. He’s tied for fifth, three strokes back of Michael Gligic. Villegas needs a solo-sixth finish or better to cross the fail-safe threshold for a spot in The Finals 25; other scenarios could be in play based on players’ performances around the bubble.

Villegas finished No. 169 on the 2021-22 FedExCup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List, with just one top-25 in 26 starts, but he maintains an unwavering desire to compete at the game’s highest level. Hence he’s back at the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, aiming to earn as many TOUR starts next season as possible.

“We all know what the goal is,” Villegas said Friday afternoon in southern Indiana. “I just gave myself a better chance, so let’s keep it going. I’m trying to keep it more mellow and less stressful … I know there’s a lot on the line, but life is good. The game of golf has been good to me, and hopefully it’s good to me the next couple days.”

Starting on No. 10 Friday, Villegas made six consecutive birdies on Nos. 13-18, including a self-described “pretty sweet” birdie on the par-3 16th, after making triple-bogey 6 at that hole Thursday.

After turning in 7-under 29, the Colombia native made three birdies and a hole-out eagle on his final nine, counterbalancing two bogeys. He concluded his day with a two-putt birdie from just in front of the green at the par-5 ninth, channeling his trademark Spider-Man green-reading method before draining a 5-foot birdie, right in the heart.

“The game of golf has been great to me; I want to do it as long as I can,” said Villegas of his motivation to continue pursuing excellence at the highest level. “I try to stay fit, I try to stay healthy, and being out here on the PGA TOUR is awesome.

“To see guys play good golf always motivates me. To know that I have it inside me, and that I love the process, it motivates me. Nobody likes playing bad golf; I can tell you that.”

Villegas described the opportunity to serve as Presidents Cup captain’s assistant as an honor, and he noted the early-week trip to Charlotte as “inspiring.”

“A very unique experience to me,” Villegas said. “I’m trying to take all the good energy that I saw those two days, hanging around the boys, and coming out here to play good golf.”

Villegas’ play Friday was inspiring as well.