Rafael Campos… PGA Tour exempt player. He’s a dad now, forever more.
By: Gary Van Sickle
ST. SIMONDS ISLAND, Ga.—Which big international star did 90 minutes worth of media interviews Tuesday morning with CNN and a handful of other media outlets from Puerto Rico, Argentina and Mexico?
Rafael Campos.
Keep in mind that Tom Brady and Caitlin Clark were also on the grounds here at the Sea Island Resort playing in Wednesday’s RSM Classic pro-am. Slightly bigger names, if you want to be a stickler.
What, you don’t know Rafael Campos? He is the PGA Tour’s 36-year-old Cinderella story of the year. Last week, he became a first-time father on Monday and a first-time PGA Tour champion six days later when he held on—a little shakily at times—to win the Bermuda Championship.
Campos, who was born in Puerto Rico and turned pro at 21 after a college career at Virginia Commonwealth University, has never even played in a major championship. Now, he’s already in the 2025 Masters, 2025 PGA Championship and The Players Championship, plus the bonus of the season-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
He stepped outside the RSM media center to chat about his newly upgraded golf career and, after all those TV-radio interviews via a computer hookup inside, and light up a cigarette.
“It was funny the things that came to my mind when I first won,” Campos said. “At no point whatsoever did the money come into my mind. Or the majors. It was just how happy I was for my family and the fact that I’d have two years of job security.”
He had no idea at the time that his win earned him an automatic Masters invite. When he learned that, he blurted out, “Don’t s*** me! Are you serious?”
His Masters experience is limited to a Tuesday practice round when the he and his VCU teammates, in town for a college tournament, got one-day passes to visit the tournament. Campos was overwhelmed by the experience.
“I didn’t even walk the entire course,” he recalled. “I think I walked the first two holes, then I was on the range watching the pros hitting balls. The place is unbelievable. It’s just so cool, I can’t believe I get to experience it.”
No, he did not eat a pimento cheese sandwich at Augusta National, the unofficial food of the tournament. “I didn’t know!” he said. “I was only 18.”
But yes, he happens to like pimento cheese. A lot.
No, he has not met Jim Nantz. Or Jack Nicklaus. Tiger Woods? Sort of.
Campos played the Junior British Open at Royal Troon, he recalled, when he was 13 or 14, and played with Sean O’Meara, Mark O’Meara’s son, and also was paired with a kid named Rory McIlroy.
“We finished the round, Sean said, ‘Hey, you want to go see my dad and all?’ Sure. Mark was on the range, Tiger was behind him, Phil Mickelson was on the other side. I tried to get close to watch Tiger but Stevie (caddie Steve Williams) was like, ‘Hey! Sorry!’ I have seen Tiger a few times, like at the Farmers Championship. Those are the only times I’ve seen him in person.”
So where is he going to aim when he plays the famed par-3 12th hole during the Masters?
Campos laughed. “What do you mean where am I gonna aim? I haven’t even seen the hole yet! But I can’t wait to stand on that tee box. I can’t wait to see the place and try to hit the shots.”
A moment passed. That cigarette in his left hand was burning low. “I just want to see the place and hit the shots.”
Another not-so-serious question popped up: Which shot was he looking more forward to, the 12th at the Masters, 17th at TPC Sawgrass or the par-3 16th at the Phoenix Open?
The answer was, None of the above. “I’m more looking forward to hitting the first tee shot at the Masters,” he said.
Pretty good answer, if you want to be a stickler.
One last question for Campos, this time about his first PGA Championship appearance: So, Rafael, where is next year’s PGA?
“I have no idea,” he admitted. “I haven’t had time to even look it up.”
Quail Hollow, the usual home of the Wells Fargo Championship, is the answer, but Campos has been riding a wave of congratulations for his win and the arrival of his daughter, Paola. It’s been a whirlwind. He only had time for nine holes of practice this week before the RSM Championship, although he has played here before and knows the course.
“Yesterday, it was the most relaxing nine holes I’ve ever had in my life,” he said. “It was the most unbelievable feeling. I asked my caddie, Are you feeling the same way I am right now? I can’t believe I can hit shots here and not have to worry about my job.”
Now he has something—new daughter—more important to worry about.
“I can’t believe how I can feel so much internally about someone else,” Campos said. Another player told me, ‘You love your wife but you got to know her first before you loved her. Now with a baby, it’s suddenly there. It’s instinct, it’s pure love.’ It’s an unbelievable feeling.
“Normally, you put yourself first when it comes to golf. Last week, my priority was my daughter. Everything I’m trying to do is for my wife and my daughter now. It is unbelievable how my perspective changed and that a child could change it. But I understand that one hundred percent now.”
The next year is going to be a great one for Campos. And that’s not even counting his new status as a PGA Tour exempt player. He’s a dad now, forever more.
Gary Van Sickle has covered golf since 1980, following the tours to 125 men’s major championships, 14 Ryder Cups and one sweet roundtrip flight on the late Concorde. His work appeared, in order, in The Milwaukee Journal, Golf World magazine, Sports Illustrated and Golf.com. He is a former president of the Golf Writers Association of America. His email gvansick at aol dot com.
