Ricky Castillo grabbed his first-ever win at the PGA Tour (2026 Puerto Rico Open) with a 17-under 271. The 25-year-old claimed to be in the best mental shape this year. And the credit goes to his fiancée, Bella Grace. 

Castillo said, “My fiancée's been really, really helpful in just having me understand that there's more important things than golf.” 

The win became even more significant since he narrowly missed the qualifying rounds for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. However, he pushed ahead instead of sulking over the loss. 

“Regardless whether I win or come in dead last, that I've got a great team and a family around me that's going to care for me regardless.” 

The couple got engaged back in December 2024. And Grace’s support reflected well as Castillo secured the win. The couple celebrated his victory together.

Castillo also pointed to other factors in his victory.

Support From His Fiancee Wasn’t the Only Secret to the PGA Tour Star’s Victory

“I spent a decent amount of time with my mental coach, Dr. Gio, last year and we just talked a lot about being able to forget about the bad shots and stuff like that,” Ricky Castillo continued. “That was the biggest thing for me.”

Additionally, the one-time PGA Tour champion had his puka shell necklace on. It was something that his grandmother gave him back when he was around five years old. Having lost her about a decade ago, Castillo never parts with the necklace. 

He said, “I just always would wear it and just keep it on me just to remind me of her and feel like no matter where I am, she's always with me and a part of her's always watching over me.”  

With his loved ones’ support, Castillo didn’t worry about his competitors’ positions. He simply played his best game till the end. And now, he’s walking away with a two-year winner’s exemption into the tournament. 

Read more at Daily Club Golf!

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar