Golfer undergoing cancer treatment enters PGA Tour

This week's Sony Open recorded a total of 144 players, with Castillo being the oldest. Castillo entered the tournament by finishing first in the local qualifying round of the Aloha Section PGA Championship in September 2022, with a birdie on the last hole, where he had led the golf team for 12 years. At that time, Castillo was due to undergo radiation therapy due to a recurrence of liver cancer, but he postponed until November, when he finished his personal golf schedule.

"The result is amazing. This is my first time on the PGA Tour and will be cheered by my whole family," Castillo said ahead of the 2023 Sony Open. He has five children, all of whom are professional coaches.

Nearly five years ago, doctors discovered that Castillo had colon cancer, which later spread to his lungs and liver.

For each such organ, Castillo has undergone two rounds of treatment, chemotherapy and radiation. In February 2023, he will be re-examined to know the results from the latest treatment.

"The tumor is also small. I feel healthy and light in the last month of the year. Next month will see how the real effect is. And now, I'm ready to fight at the Sony Open," Castillo said.

Castillo is currently in charge of coaching at the Kapalua golf complex on the large island of the same name. It is also where the PGA Tour has held the Tournament of Champions (TOC) opening tournament since 1999, with the championship and $2.7 million in 2023 belonging to Jon Rahm, after a point race with 37 colleagues. The event is a special category, when it is only for the champions and some of the top 30 FedEx Cup faces in the previous administrative year.

The PGA Tour calendar in Hawaii currently has two tournaments, the TOC and the Sony Open. In the past 54 years, only six competitors have won the doubles, including Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Zach Johnson, Cameron Smith and Justin Thomas.