'Just enjoy playing in Tiger Woods era'

Villegas shot to fame following his incredible run last year and is considered one of the more talented players either side of the Atlantic.

The 27 year old said Woods will continue his domination as the world's best golfer and the rest of the chasing pack only needs to "focus on ourselves and enjoy playing in the Tiger Woods era".

Blemish-free rounds

In Dubai, Villegas is currently tied second on a six-under 66 with Chris Wood after Round 1 of the European Tour's season-ending Dubai World Championship presented by DP World on the Earth Course, after recording six birdies in one of the few blemish-free rounds yesterday.

"I can't control what he does. We all know he's No. 1 in the world. He's been there for a long time. We know he wins tournaments every year and he will continue to do that," said Villegas, who won last year's BMW Championship and Tour Championship in the United States.

"Yes he didn't win a major this year, and that surprises a lot of people, but at the end of the day, he's still Tiger Woods and he's still going to continue to work hard to accomplish his goals. So we can't control what he does; we've just got to keep working and try to improve.

"Has the gap on him closed? I still think he's the Player of the Year. How many times did he win, eight? He struggled, that's right, and didn't win majors, but we must just keep working hard. We need to focus on ourselves and enjoy playing in the Tiger Woods era. I mean, enjoy it. He's a very talented individual, who gets it done. That's what we're trying to do."

Villegas said juggling life between the Europe and America was getting tougher, and that he would wait for next season's European Tour schedule before finalising his own roster.

"It's been interesting and it's definitely harder than people think it is. Not having a family, not having kids that you leave at home definitely makes it a lot easier and I don't understand how some guys that have kids are travelling around the world. I guess this is what we do for a living and I'm enjoying it."

Speaking of his around the world trip to Dubai, Villegas said: "I was in Colombia, then flew overnight to Spain, then overnight to China, then overnight to New Zealand, then overnight to Dubai and I'll fly overnight back home. If you think about it, that's five nights in one month spent on a plane. So it's definitely something I need to get used to. Am I enjoying playing on both tours? Yes! Great people, great places, great cultures, great tournaments, but it's tough!"