Repetición de la primera ronda del 2024 Latin America Amateur Championship.
Round One Replay of the 2024 Latin America Amateur Championship.
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Additional information:
The 8th edition of the Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC) will be held from January 12-15, 2023, at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Puerto Rico.
Founded in 2014 by the Masters Tournament, The R&A and the USGA, the LAAC was established to further develop amateur golf in South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The championship annually moves to top courses throughout Latin America and showcases the sport’s rising talent in the region, including PGA Tour winners and 2020 Olympians such as Joaquin Niemann of Chile, the 2018 LAAC champion, and Sebastián Muñoz of Colombia.
This year’s champion receives an invitation to compete in the 2022 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club and automatically qualifies for The 150th Open at St Andrews. The winner also receives full exemptions into The Amateur Championship, U.S. Amateur Championship and any other USGA amateur championship for which he is eligible and is exempt into the final stages of qualifying for the 2022 U.S. Open Championship.
The typical 120-player field is comprised annually of the top male amateurs in Latin America representing the 29 IOC-recognized countries and territories from this region that are current members of the International Golf Federation.
It’s only a sliver on the map but essential the country of Panama linking North and South America The Hub of the americaas vibrant and warm and diverse and this week in the shadow of Panama City Golf takes set her stage with one of the most significant amateur
Tournaments in the world at the Jack Nicholas design Santa Maria Golf Club the ninth Edition back in this tropical playground for the second time 108 players from 29 countries and territories set to chase the biggest prize in the region on the line a chance to play the Masters the US Open and the
Open it is pressure packed and lifechanging for the winner they’re bringing Latin heat in Sunny Panama the Masters Tournament in partnership with the RNA and USGA proudly presents the 2024 Latin America America amateur championship and another beautiful warm sunny day in Panama City we were here 7
Years ago playoff Thriller won by Toto Ghana it’s a country of about 4 million with some golf history Arnold Palmer won his second title as professional here in 1956 93° stamina will be tested this week it’s humid as well Santa Maria is a par 70 there’s some trouble out there a little more
More than 7100 yard Rich learner alongside two-time US Open Champion Andy North former US amateur Champion Colt no I own a Steven play professionally and has broadcast around the world and the inimitable John Sutcliffe will conduct the Interviews let’s go down to the seventh hole and our featured group Colt no is down there afternoon guys Miguel oronia drove it just through the Fairway here at seven and has a very difficult downhill lie and with the wind helping Andy it’s going to be tough to get this ball up in
The air and stop on the putting surface and that’s a very very narrow green as far as the depth of it it’s at an awkward angle this is normally a par five that they moved up a set of T’s and they’re playing it as a very difficult
Power four and there’s a great look at the green not much room around the hole it Catch 22 here Colt that you’re glad that’s downwind so you can maybe hit a shorter Club in here but you can’t stop it no I don’t think he can go directly
At the whole location anything short and right of that bunker would be [Applause] fine I think this is all about where can you leave it to get up and down for par on this difficult long Par Four yeah this comes out very low heading towards that bunker almost runs out but ends up
Staying in it that actually be a pretty decent place to play I Believe to that right hole location and will’ll stay for Santiago de fent’s one of the favorites coming in very pure ball Striker the winds got this one though headed a little right really solid start though Rich one
Under par early in his round quality player All America at the University of Houston and now another one of the favorites second and third the last couple of years from Argentina vente Marcel go he’s been knocking on the door the last couple years time to walk
Through it huge t- shot but just got through to the rough but a perfect angle to this right hole location wind’s got this one also moving a little right should catch a piece like cult that one just ran back through the green and that’s one of the
Big problems with this golf course is why it’s so difficult to run the green greens the the chipping and pitching will be a challenge getting your ball to stay on the the level the green that you want it to will be a challenge it’s going to be a great
Week here are our featured groups so it’s Aaron Jarvis who won it two years ago from the Cayman Islands and made the cut at the open at the old course at St Andrews in 2022 Jose eastl a really talented player he won the Mexico amateur by 10 shots last year and
Reached the quarters um of the US amiter Christan cheros as well and then ordonia marcilio and Dela fente now at the fifth hole and Sebastian McLean fifth Ho’s a par three that is playing 178 yards today a lot of ridges and humps and bumps in this grain
Get it in the right area of the grain you can do some good and nice pot there one under is a good score right now two under is leading so many parts of the United States getting pounded snow frigid temperatures we don’t have that concern this weekend no it’s a lot
Of liquids and sunscreen here this week nice to be in the warm weather yeah be beautiful place and well it all got started at 7 o’clock this morning opening t-shot from Panama Raul what a nice honor for the 24y old Panamanian historically they try to pick
A player from the home country to hit the first t- shot we saw him yesterday at lunch and he was so excited and he said I’m a little nervous I hope I get it go in the right direction says it is his hope to inspire other kids in Panama
And they have a dynamic and growing Junior program here in Panama R went on to shoot 77 now some of the highlights and here is Omar Morales UCLA hit that opening t- shot at the US Open at La and but for the double bogey at seven a good
Start at one under 69 he’s got to be one of the favorites this week he’s the highest ranked player in the field and how about the old man in the group Alo Ortiz 55 years old yeah let’s just start with a Birdie’s one under now through
About five or six holes so the oldest player oldest player of the field at 55 he loves it in Panama he led through 36 holes in in 2017 here in Panama missed the playoff by only a shot now DEA fente this is really a player that’s got so much ability he’s got length
Touch Del quente played the Palmer Cup last year in Pennsylvania and in singles he beat one of the best Collegiate players in the game David Ford of North Carolina now Marcelo another player that’s I mean he’s had a chance to win here each of the last two
Years such a talented player we’ve seen him grow up in front of our eyes was a gorgeous shot marcelio got a chance to hang around for a bit at Texas Tech with ludig Oar and now aru yeah how about his start Bird’s 10 Bird’s 11 and went on to birdie 12 to
Take the early lead at 3 under yeah Jose aru 19 years old from Guatemala playing at hard ing University in Arkansas and won a tournament World ranked tournament back home in Guatemala last week so he comes here with good form what do you make of
The score so far Andy I think this is kind of what we expect this is a big Golf Course they’ve taken two of the par fivs and turned them into Par Four so it’s a par 70 so there are six or eight very very difficult holes here that if
You can handle those holes you’re probably going to be okay uh East SL from Mexico difficult ho location coming down wind just over the bunker at the seventh it’s Dela fente quick one coming down look at the ulations on this golf course and that’s one of the flatter
Greens they call him Santi Santiago moved from a small School Arkansas Tech to Houston his goal to move up the rankings and he’s rocket it up more than a thousand spots he’s now 89th and now pass Champion Aaron Jarvis let’s bring in Iona good afternoon everyone Aaron
Jarvis third to play here straight down the breeze G whiz this is a tough green to find a warm but very stiff breeze out here like playing golf in a tumble dryer not what I us to and see the ball re repel off the edge of the green we’ll see that so many
Of the holes out here let’s bring in Colt back at seventh hole vente just hit his second shot through the green and Chip back to here has a little bit of work left at the break looks like about a good six or seven fet Andy and these greens like
Youall said very challenging a lot of slope in them all about leaving it in the right place this week if your iron play can be spot on this week and you get it in these little areas uh you’ve got a chance to make some birdies but fear in the wrong side
Of these ridges good luck and in my opinion this wind’s blowing hard enough to affect the putts a little bit so got to make sure you stay really stable this will get him back to even par two birdies and this will be a second Bogey and now aru this parut at the 16th
Yeah this is another par five they turned into a par four for the week and because of that the seventh and 16th greens are very awkward they’re at interesting angles they’ve got a lot of ridges and and high and low spots in it because you’re normally hitting a pitch
Or a short wedge to those holes now the players are required to hit some longer clubs I see a lot of this players digging to make par now this is Miguel Ordon yes and he hit a great bunker shot to about 4 and A2 fet great save and a fist pump yeah he’s
He’s played here more than any other player in the field knows the greens well that’s a huge Advantage but a lot of pressure being the home time guy he he runs the instructional Academy right here at Santa Maria he’s also the director of membership he’s a good
Player he made match play of the US midam two of the last three years won his Opening match on each occasion including last year at Sleepy Hollow in New York he broke on the scene seven years ago when we were at the Panama country club and he just played some
Great Golf and had had the lead the first day and stayed around the top all week week long had a top 10 finish so we were talking about Miguel ordonia by the way one under now seven players are at minus one tied for the lead so Miguel he’s competed in every
Latin America amateur Championship since the inaugural in 2015 as Andy said more local knowledge than anyone here at Santa Maria he’s played hundreds of rounds around this golf course and director of The Academy here now more on the 40-year-old from Panama this is my ninth laacc which
Means that you know I’m I’m I’m one of the very few fortunate people that have been able to play all of them there was one year during the pandemic in 2021 that was cancelled so uh this should be the 10th but but it’s actually the ninth
And um yeah it’s just it’s been such a unbelievable experience and opportunity for me to be able to play and and see this tournament grow for our region the Latin American region I’ve been very fortunate to play a lot of tournaments in my career I’ve I’ve gotten to play some of the best
Courses in the world but this one is at the top of my list I I always Circle it in the calendar the lack will always be the most important tournament for me because of what it represents because of what the three biggest institutions being the Masters Tournament the RNA and
The USDA what they have done to come together to provide all the resources to have this tournament it’s just Sensational I’ve been able to travel around the continent and uh I hope that it continues to grow and um I think I still got something in the tank so I I I
Foresee uh myself uh being able you know to play a few more I don’t know how many that will be because you got to earn it nobody gives it to you in the lack it’s got to be through your ranking the world Amer Golf Ranking but I feel like um
Like I have a few in me and and obviously the the the great the great goal and the great dream is to be able to uh pode Trophy and and playing the majors how this at one time he was a sports caster in fact he used to call
The masters from a local television station he loves baseball he’s a huge Cubs fan he learned to speak English he’s good at it listening to cups games on WGN as a kid here in Panama City said his first words were Harry car’s holy cow that’s a good place to start
Yeah he’s among the oldest in the field and he is one of three now to have played in all nine Latin America amateur championships we mentioned alado Ortiz Jared dillas from Bermuda as well um alado by the way has made the cut in five of the previous
Eight he is currently tied for the lead at one under yeah all right now 2022 winner Aaron Jarvis from the Cayman Islands got a lot of work left you just see that if you get some of the putts that are coming down the slopes and it happens to be with the
Wind they become electrically fast just have to be careful really really important to get your iron play and proper positions on these greens and T at 17 is part three this is aru 190 yards today wind helping and this one is well out to the right back right ho location that is
Going to be a really difficult up and in so this is going to feel like a good oldfashioned Andy North US Open it and have to dig for pars and even a few bogeys but tremendous excitement always day number one of this great Championship the Latin America amateur Championship from
Panama the Latin America amateur Championship is brought to you by Bank of America what would you like the power to do IBM let’s create AT&T We Believe can connecting changes everything mercedesbenz the vehicles are all electric the feeling is all Mercedes the choice is all Yours we are on the east side of Panama City we’re just 10 minutes from the airport so it is all very convenient and this is more than a link from north to south east to west as well sort of a compass center Point row of the Winds all cardinal directions emanating
From here in Panama I think a 1519 the Spanish later Road from the Pacific to the Atlantic and 500 years later here we are and the Panama Canal Marvel of engineering some drought conditions though 30% fewer ships are being allowed through plans to expand it a lake Among the most famous engineering feeds in the world the Panama Canal flying in here Monday morning we Circle back out over the ocean came in from the south there must have been 200 ships in line waiting to get in aru with a very very difficult up and in at the par 3
17th that’s kind of what you’d expect you’ve just got to make sure you don’t fluff it leave it short get set yourself up to make double bog he still has an opportunity to knock that 20 footer into to save power I’m sure he was very disappointed with the
T-shot premium will be on what part of the game or parts of the game this week and I think there’s there’s a couple of good driving holes but overall there’s a lot of room uh here is the most Drive difficult driving hole in the golf course some of the players will decide
To lay up as he’s doing right here this is East L just keeping sure that bunker it’s about 250 yards short of the bunker or you can take it over it and if you do that then it turns this into a birdie opportunity most difficult hole when they had the ajga here last
Year it’s it’s the closest hole where the water really comes into play other than a par three let’s bring in Iona here at the nth with terceros out with the driver as Andy was outlining different options here at nine a tricky hole we’ve come straight down
The breeze on eight now we’re right back into it off the right hand side but these tall buildings on the right hand side can make you feel all sorts of funny things on this tea you’re very very sheltered in there where they’re standing and as soon as you get further
Down the Fairway you can really feel the strength and the direction of the wind so it’s catching a lot of players out but they’re all looking pretty pretty composed and relaxed at the moment flirting around the level Mark everyone in this group isas definitely the biggest hitter
He hits it a long old way and our former Champion here Aaron Jarvis also out with the driver that bunker down the left starts around 250 273 to carry it it’s a big ass today into this wind he’ll love that one and he needs it
Just made a double bogey at the a tole to jump to three over for the tournament it’s going to be a tournament Endy where you’re probably going to take one on the chin a double bogey here or there I think it’s you know you you made a
Mention of it that this is going to play like a very difficult US Open type golf course with the wind and the fact that the the greens are tough you’ve got to eliminate the doubles and if you make Bogies that’s fine you can make some birdies but boy
It’s hard to recover from double Bogies out here let bring in Colt with Miguel Ordon two overp par playing the eighth and he just ran through the Fairway has 160 yards left and once again has a really strong helping win and this pin just located five steps on the front of this
Green it’s going to be very difficult for him to stop it Andy you mentioned it he’s probably got one of the lowest ball flights in the field yeah and downwind if he gets this 25 feet past the hole I think that’d be a really good shot I
Think he would take that right now and not even hit That’s really good that’s just just getting it on the green downwind that was well done great look at really clean contact coming out of the rough all ball first that’s the key marcelio 10 yards closer 150 playing straight down wind has a pitching wedge out that’s delente playing some ready
Golf yeah smart play there cannot afford to come up short big false front now marcelio I tell you what his length is a huge Advantage those bunkers were 300 yards to carry and it was still Rising as it went over the top of them has just
97 yards left and talked to him last night training harder smarter got stronger swing speed about 120 ball speed mid 170s with with room to ramp that up eighth hole is 461 today so think that he’s got 97 yards left that was a terrific t- shot oh this is not a
Terrific wed shot though oh my oh and it really settled down in the rough Behind the Green that will be really really dicey so Santa Maria Golf Club it is one of just 13 here in Panama considered one of the Premier golf courses in the region here now on over viiew of this
Panamanian gem we are super excited to be able to host the lack in 2024 Santa Maria Panama it has been of an effort of very many years uh from our ownership and partners from AA go we were proud and honored to be considered uh back in 2017 when we
Hosted the first uh lck here in Panama we’re proud and honored to be hosting it for the second time and we hope that they keep us as one of their destinations every couple of years a lot of months of preparation a lot of details so it’s not just maintaining
Your course as usual it’s a lot of teamwork and I think as the week goes on we will see that that it was accomplished by everybody so much from the S there’s two different stretches on the golf course that have been identified and I think they can be uh instrumental
In this week at lck I think that the uh the the green compound are sophisticated to say the least depending on how and where they put the pin locations it’s going to be interesting I think the most challenging part is going to be the putting we have some long holes but
These young kids hit very far so I think the challenges are going to be in the greens it’s a dream come true for us uh ownership the resort and all the stuff being able to host lck this year uh is going to be superb it’s an effort of
Many people for a number of months and obviously goes to show the commitment that we have uh with the growth of the the game Golf Course open in 2012 it was designed by the nichels design company it’s playing at 7,7 yards today par 70 they’re taking two par fivs that are HS
That are normally power five seven and 16 and turn them into long fours for these players and the stim is 10 to 10 and a half and they can’t get it much faster that because of all the slopes and the wind if if they’ got these to 12
Or 12 and a half they’d be impossible par putt for aru at 17 he’s leaking oil right now and he slos at the ninth holes cut in the back portion of the green and that will be a difficult up and in everything seems to car him away
From the greens no green to work with it’s a big knob in between yourself and the hole getting that on the Green from there will be difficult Christian terceros three over par yeah this is such a a tough tough hole nine as I say straight back into
The Breeze water all down the right hand side and then this dangerous bunker which is where terceros has ended up and unfortunately he’s awfully close to this lip so he’s not going to be able to get this home he’s going to have to use extra Loft and just Advance himself up the fair
Weight and that’s just caught the lip yeah and that’s a mistake you can’t make you have to make sure you take enough Loft to get it out uh you so often those you hit the lip and they come back at your feet and now you really got
Problems but he just barely got out of the the bunker but still not an easy neck shot at all again swirling winds undulating massive greens uh quite a challenge for these young players teros 22 years old from Bolivia Rich it looks like the wind’s going to blow a little bit all week long
So uh this going to be a heck of a test all week let’s see what marcelio can do here at number eight good news is he’s chipping back into the wind can be aggressive coming out of that Li C that was well done yeah but he’s going to be
Kicking himself with just 97 yards left he didn’t think he’d have to work for par and back to the ninth hole that’s cheros third shot bit of work to do then here mid iron in his hand flag up the back of this green and that ball is well over the green and
Another very awkward angle to get that up and in to get that within 10 or 12 feet will be a good shot from back there m he’s going to have to fight and now Jarvis any players with aspirations of getting their hands on a place to Royal
Trune for the open is getting some pretty good practice here today in this wind this is off the Downs slope for Jarvis after a cracking drive just a short iron I mean another mistake you just cannot miss long and put it down the front part of this green and take your
Two putt from 40 or 50 ft you can’t get that super aggressive I didn’t get that that hard either back at the eighth hole this is ordones to get it to one over coming down the hill moving a little bit to his left pretty decent judge of speed coming off that
Ridge so the difficult Golf Course might play to the strengths of some of the more seasoned players like in ordones no goes the golf course don’t need to shoot 23 under that was winning score from Teo Fernandez DEA a year ago in Puerto Rico different story in the Winds of Panama
At the Latin America amateur Championship all right the ship’s waiting to come through the Panama Canal we were fortunate enough to have a dinner down there the last time we were here and it was absolutely amazing sit there and watch these ships you literally felt like you’d Reach Out And Touch you’re that close to them downtown
Panama City is just growing like crazy cranes everywhere okay about four and a half million got it yeah bordered by Costa Rica on the North and Columbia on the south it is a really banking capital of the central Americas probably one of the most important
Cities in the Central America so it is a lot of of Americans are coming down here and spending a lot of time a lot of people semi-retiring down here this is turning into their winter home and we’ got to look at the par five 10th green with the city behind it
Obviously lots of trouble around this screen but couple of good shots players can reach it in two but if you make a mistake it can be a long afternoon on this hole in here now we’re going to look at the short par 4 11th 297 yards to the front of the green playing
At 317 today but with this win Direction you see most of the players take it out to your right outstanding website you can stay connected to all the Latin americ amateur Championship action anytime anywhere visit laac golf.com and follow the championship on Twitter Facebook and Instagram really good feature stories it’s of photos live leaderboards all of it now to the ninth in Jarvis this is such a tricky shot to judge trying to land that on a six pence to get it to stop below the hole starting to understand why this ninth is robbing so many players of
Shots real pleasure to be joined in the commentary box right now by Panama’s very own Omar tahara pleasure guys uh great to have you with us Omar how’d it go out there in round number one for you man it was a it was a grind um I’ve been
Sitting here in the boot with you guys just hearing about what you guys are saying and spot on listen Omar 5 over 75 you you’re not you’re not out of it no I’m not um you know it just I mean we got to see what happens
Then know this this day um the course is playing very hard it’s it’s it’s bouncing uh the greens are rolling fast breaks are breaking a little bit more than usual um and this win you know now we’re getting that nor wind which is typical from that uh from the summer and
Uh when it starts blowing like this you know you said it you know you miss a green and everything just bounces away from you you’ve played a lot of golf here you won a tournament here last year still you’re not you know you go
Out and go 68 three days in a row who knows what might happen shrug up the shoulders right there as if to say you’re not you’re not wrong Andy so let’s talk Golf Course a little bit what are the players facing right now we’ talked so much about the
Greens is that the most difficult part of this golf course you know lines are hard of the t-box um you really got to pick him smartly you can get into a lot of trouble because you know BS is starting to bounce into some places you can run
Out the fway like for example Miguel did on number eight he didn’t hit a bad you know bad line but the problem is that as you were saying it K and goes out and then you got no spin how about this put from Jose e of Mexico they right or left I’d say
Oh nope when the wind is now starting to blow hard enough it could possibly affect how the ball’s working on the green I had a lot of those today I hit a I had at least two or three pots that were breaking in one way and really did
Did ended up breaking on nor one and um you know that that makes it difficult especially when you know the brakes and you’re standing on the little six uh six-footer that you’ve made you know couple times and it goes inside right and then it goes you know the other
Direction yeah is local knowledge a problem maybe this way is that a detriment I can’t believe that no no it’s not no it’s not but you you you need to adjust and U absolutely you know well you know and so often you play golf course a lot maybe the greens aren’t
Quite as fast or you’re you know they’re it’s not as bouncy now in this tournament conditions it changes a little bit it’s a totally different Golf Course for everybody well we truly we never played these conditions um you know maybe once a year when we play the
Corner Fair here in Panama which is uh at Club of the golf Panama and that’s that’s part of the challenge you know every day you play out here you hit in your drive BS not really rolling you’re hitting you know whatever iron you’re hitting to the green it’s you know it’s
Spinning and uh like number seven today I had 171 to the pin H really high n iron flew the Pain by 20 yards just it’s adjusting constantly adjusting and the wind is gusting a little bit so it’s not just a constant Iona talked about the buildings along
Nine that’s affecting how the wind comes through there also definitely because it bounces around and the same thing happen on number eight you know you’re in the Fairway hitting into the green it’s downwind but when you’re looking at the pin the pin is it’s it’s moving right or
Left and it’s not really that that’s not really what’s happening but you know it mixes you that so these players making the turn now theyve they’ve all struggled a little bit these last couple holes what do they have look forward and the second nine holes what holes can
They get after can they make some birdies on you see you know number 10 for example you you could you could you could really go for it you know here’s a look at going from the ninth green to the 10th that’s a nice little par five yeah
It’s at least a par five exactly but then the the t-shot of 10 to me is one of the more critical t- shots of the golf course if you can miss that bunker and still hug the right a little bit it’s really shortens the hole dramatically it does but you know that’s
A an aggressive line um you know if you know I know Miguel a lot for example and you know he’s going to take it down the left and I think that the guys who really hit it they’re going to try to fade that a little bit of their left
Side side it really kicks down over there and then you know you if you end up squeezing it you might have an iron in and the wind the wind is probably helping a little bit from the right so you you might see some of the longer
Guys be able to knock it over that bunker oh yeah then that would make that pretty pretty doable yeah so Omar you’ve had two good finishes this your third appearance you were 22nd uh at Kasa compo 2 years ago 26 last year in Puerto Rico 68 final
Round at KAS compo in 2022 won a number of amateur events in the region All America at St Thomas University in Miami 10 11 years ago and came away with a degree in business and I know you’ve been very successful uh in that space in in this region so where are you
Competing in addition to the latinam where else are you competing these days we’re we’re constantly you know competing here in Panama with the ranking uh we’ve done a very good job on creating a place where you know all of us can really compete throughout the year with a couple of really good events
Um we’re putting a lot of effort into creating our own International amateur event which is the kopa rocki Galindo um sponsored by the the the Galindo family you know the very big uh golfing family they always always really support so you know last year we brought
About 45 guys we were able to get uh about 240 some 247 points on the wagger um so it was a it was a good event um how much did you play with this guy must a lot I’m guessing a lot a lot yeah Miguel is a close
Friend suspect a few dollars have changed hands over the years yeah yeah he really does Hit It Low I think that’s one thing that uh I thought would really be great for him this week that he hit it underneath a lot of the wind and it it definitely can be a can
Be an asset definitely but when you’re hanging into the greens this week you do want a little bit of yeah he’s going to have to hit some some shots Del fent is a guy came in expecting to win you just can’t miss it to the left of that green
Or this whole location is today from there you’ve got no chance to get up unless you make it 10 or 15 footer and the thing is that on the right side you have no space either yeah and then the angle is a very yeah very tough angle I
Thought that the biggest portion of that green is that front third just go ahead and play 10 yards on leave and try to Tupac from 30 40 ft and get your par and go on it’s just a it’s just a hole where you just want to go through with a four
Yep any way you can get it anywhere you can get it yeah this is aente marcilio from Argentina his countrymen wanted a year ago in Puerto Rico Mato Fernandez the oler he’s turned professional playing PGA toward Americas now see I like that play there I really do
Like that play it takes all the trouble back and left to the green out of play and if you have to T put from 60 feet that’s you know that’s just part of the deal that’s a sensible talk from a two-time US Open Champion colorful and beautiful culture
Here in Panama we are underway round one of the Latin America amateur championship It’s so we’ve seen amazing culture here party last night was really great um this is an interesting City tell us a little bit about Panama and the fact that it seems like it brings the whole part of this world together right here this is one of the central main cities
In this part of the world potentially it’s the main characteristic about you know what Panama’s all about you know uh we bring a lot of cultures together we bring a lot of um gastronomic um cultures together so you know that’s basically what Panama is it’s a point of
Connection you know and um that’s what we’ve seen throughout the years uh yeah back in capital yes logistic you know spot um but it’s so much more than that and at the end of the day that’s I think what’s making what makes us makes it special you know I live down here I’ve
Lived here all my life but I did spend about four years in Miami and um you sort of get that same Vibe you know dynamic it’s young um it’s a very vibrancy well you mentioned banking it really is the central spot of banking in this in basically Central and South
America yeah I would dare to say you know Main Place from Latin America and um you know we put a lot of effort into creating that banking you know as you said like that banking Hub and um put a lot of effort into making it very very successful very strong with very strong
Foundations and that’s part of a made you know Panama sweet spot for for doing business you got a good place you can live people speaks English English people speak Spanish we got the dollar yeah um you can go anywhere in the world from here basically um with Copa and some other Air
Lines now we are at the ninth hole this is Santiago DEA fente of Mexico tough shot here at the ninth Rich you can’t blame him for missing it left with that huge Pond over to the right but he’s left himself in a very spot very little green to work with I
Think he might have to go the low route here land this in the FR Fringe and one hop it onto the green so he is just one of two players now in red figures the other Omar Morales also of Mexico in the house with 69 and that did include a
Double bog that we mentioned that that that is likely going to happen over the four days I think he’s right now enjoying lunch with his feet up and he’s in a nice position I don’t I think it’s going to be very difficult for anybody shooting under power this afternoon of
Course he playing very tough all right Omar tahara of Panama one of the leading Panamanian players has joined us in the commentary booth and this is another Panamanian ordones it’s got to get going it’s up a little slope there and it just slowed it down you know we talk so much about
Playing in the wind how difficult is the putt keep your balance hitting it solidly when it gets blown like this yeah you got to pay attention to a lot of that and just just to get back real quick on on what that part that that Miguel had you were mentioning you know
That that nine hole you want to be on that little front middle position but then it’s a very also it’s a very tough tup poot got to take a lot of things in consideration and one of the things that I’ve seen the the players to struggle
With myself included is that you got a lot of change in the grain you know know sometimes you’re putting into the grain then it just goes down and it brings a lot of trouble into it delente it’s like he’s going to go up with it he did opened it wide
Open but that one got away from him a little bit there guys it’s not a there’s not a lot of good options from over there yep this pass pal here’s a great look at the the hit very cleanly hit Club face stays open the whole way through
But let’s go to the eighth hole it’s our good pal heran Mo EST from Puerto Rico he thought he was going to have a chance this week this is going to be a tough shot coming out of the leftand rough over the bunker downwind if he can
Stop it within 253 ft it carried it a little bit far but controlling the ball in the air right now the wind is blowing hard hard enough it’s difficult to judge especially if you’re coming into a rough Marcelo right in there andy I would have to think I mean y’all said it perfectly
With this whole location during the practice rounds you would have to drop some balls down there on the front and practice to this back ho location yeah I it just doesn’t make any sense with the wind blowing as hard as his right left to be so aggressive we’ve seen quite a
Few players put it long and left and had no chance we’re going to see a lot of those this week and yeah this is I mean this is like a major championship US Open type event that you’re going to have a lot of five and sixf Footers this week yes and
Whoever makes the most pars and the most five or sixf Footers might end up walking away with the trophy listen for amateurs this is this major because winner will ear the invitation to the Master’s spot in the US Open and the open at Royal trun there’s so so much
Riding now that some of the competitors are coming in early two weeks ahead to scout the golf course to play practice rounds but whatever they saw two weeks ago I not not the same course not the same course I mean it’s not unlike playing a regular tournament the wind blows a
Certain direction Monday Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday it’s the other way you have no idea what to do Omar how significant has the invest by Augusta National on the governing body’s been for the region I’m doing great um you know and just to talk specifically about what we’re doing with
The lack you know it’s it’s grown the game but that phrase gets thrown a lot in there you know like oh grow in the G listen you know kids are playing more golf they want to be here they want to compete in this event because when you
Throw in those three events that you just mentioned they just want a chance at it and the truth is you got four days to qualify for it you know I tried to play in the US Open as you did Andy and uh I tried several times doing the the
The two qualifiers I do I was I got very close ones it’s very hard and when you have to do twice you know so now you know you get two day you get four days to make it you’re a kid you can dream you know what I love about what’s
Happened here too is that you look at the number of youngsters have been able to play here they’re seen by a coach in the United States and the number of these guys who are going to school us now that was a great T putt that’s
That’s huge he needed that one that is a big one that kind of we’re fist pumping on a Thursday you know it’s tough out there but you know what that’s the kind of pot that now he makes the turn M and birdie 10 maybe birdie 11 and he’s
Rolling he’s in the right momentum he’s in the right mind in the mind place you know that that was beautiful and by the way the other uh one of the other panamanians Samuel Duran 17 years old I thought held up well today little nervy at the start but he played his last 11
In one under to get in at 76 his dad Miguel and they’re the first family of golf in Panama dad Miguel is the president of the Panama Golf Association they’ve been doing a lot of job to grow this um Samuel you know he he still is
Playing as a junior and um what Miguel has done and the rest of the Federation has done with the junior golf here in Panama is amazing um I remember back when I was 15 16 years old we probably were about 20 if now you you see these Junior events and they’re they’re over
50 kids you know and so and and it keeps growing um rankings mid amateur events we have you know right now it’s close to 2500 amateur in Panama the federations has done a great job not just here but the surrounding countries creating events that get world ranking points and
Now it’s important every tournament you play in you can move up in the world rankings which guarantees you’re going to get in here and probably a lot of other events around the we’re really paying a lot of attention to that and talking in between the federations into
Seeing okay what events we can do how can we improve them can we do some joint events how how can we make them bigger you know also we you know we talk about so much how the Improvement of play and there so the access to the younger
Players the sure change but you look at how people set up golf courses the the superintendant are learning from this event the Agronomy has improved every course is getting better it just helps the whole the whole entire world of golf it’s all conducted at the highest standards the food the hotel the media
The course conditioning and the welcome reception from last evening we were done at historic La compa ruins uh the Oldtown Panama City really exciting spot I mean it was just so beautiful um 28 Latin American countries and territories the dignitaries opportunity to enjoy the finest local culture in Cuisine and it all concluded
With Mel oronas toasting the competitors with the pledge of fair play wasn’t that a great night Omar phenomenal the food was awesome the place could not get better and also the host of the evening did a really nice job well done Rich uh and
It’s a always a privilege uh to be I I tell people this is one of my favorite tournaments this the Asia Pacific amateur Championship that I do I do a lot every single year uh because of where we go people that we meet like Omar the friends that we’ve made and
It’s the level of gratitude that you feel from the competitors all the expenses are taken care of because the uh governing bodies in Augusta National did not want cost to be an impediment and so you really feel that gratitude we saw Stevie hit his second over the the green pitched back to this
Point just you start missing Greens in the wrong places you got where you have to pitch down over a ridge or hump they’re just hard to get it closer than eight or 10 feet so you’re going to see a lot of putts that length see if Aaron
Jarvis can bounce back this is third at the par five 10th see here’s the thing I finished around um yeah so this is what Omar was talking about Augusta National Pinehurst number two in June Royal trun for the 152nd open and as well don’t forget Valley liin in Ireland for the amateur then
Hazel Team National for the 24th US amateur Championship unquestionably it is a life Cher for the winner Omar tahera has joined us in the booth tough opening day here in Panama one under is leading the Latin America amateur Championship are they all running right at you I’m paying attention to it yeah there’s a lot of those black cenal job this is great right Andy you can’t miss on the wrong spot here man oh you can’t and that’s that’s what we’re seeing here you know
You you have to be so smart in where you put your shots and that’s that’s the key um we’re going to see and it’s I don’t think it’s looks like the wind’s going to blow it’s going to be warm all week long it’s so the afternoons are going to
Always dry out and get firmer and bouncier and it’s going to be a great test of golf this week yeah and the wind’s not going to stop I was looking into the weather channel before you know looking into what was going to be and it looked like it was going to continue
Continue blowing at 20 22 all afternoon yeah that’s a lot it’s a isn’t that a one beautiful look down at the tth the par five that works its way around oh all right you’re you’re you’re guy so he will go left of the bunker I’m sure that’s that’s my
Call and watch the jeory we’ve got a great look at this how low this starts out he doesn’t launch it up in the air like a lot of these guys hits these low bullets a little draw of that white tent in the in the back Jesus yeah just a bullet right at your
Tent that’s perfect absolutely perfect just going to run past that bunker he he might have the Firepower to get there from there but it’s kind of it’s just a matter of do you want to I don’t think he can keep it on the green if he hits it in there with a the
Way going it’s very hard and the the thing is that you know you need to hit a high fading shot into the green anything anything that goes through will skip down and potentially go out of bounds so it it’s a tricky shot yeah I I in looking at that hole if
You aren’t comfortable where you can keep the ball on the green I thought if you put it 30 yards left where in the Fairway it’s it got a nice angle to chip pitch teros right here hit it in the water on his second shot and this at the par 510
So this one’s getting away let’s bring in Iona she’s down there following yeah it’s been a tough tough little run here here for terceros as you say left off the te into the water with a second dropping for three so now playing four the winds just settled
Down that’s a good shot that still has a chance to save par that would be an amazing par but this is another green that if you miss it long and left the ball just repels away from the green and there’s a cart path and then not of bounds down there could sneak in
There inside 100 yards is not bad either no marcelio this man can absolutely moving it taking it right over that bunker that’s about 295 to cover oh it did just barely must hit right up in the very top of it he’s a little bit of a Downs slope but he’s in the
Fairway he can absolutely move it now we’re live on the 10 green it’s a real tricky part for eastl here and two after a monster drive up and over a ridge from left to right that’s the problem with so many of these ridges I owna that you just it’s
Hard to get the right speed ever because you’re going up and down and right and left into the green down the green yep yeah the confidence of this group has well and truly been rocked Andy it’s been a tough couple of holes and delente on the te I talked to
His cadd Pepe before the round he said my man is ready to go this year this is a beautiful t- shot he’s got a lot of game that ball carried over the bunker easily he four five iron maybe left maybe a little more yeah but it’s I
Would bet he’d get there with something like that and alado Ortiz Costa Rica unfortunately Alo was one under through the first five and doubled six and then also doubled seven so that’s a big putt to make it at nine or eight for par we talk about you know possibly
40-year-old Miguel oron contending this week where hono estebe you see beauty of this game Omar 55 and 14 can compete on the same stage Gustavo jaket from Brazil shot 80 today alvado again was 48 and had a real good chance at it seven years ago here in
Panama he he he plays well pretty much all the time wherever he goes he’s made the cut here pretty much most of the years he’s played former professional who uh had his Amer status reinstated 2006 uh played college golf in one tournaments in the early 1990s at Texas
Wesleyan and now Jarvis at the 10th nice twoot from down there he had to come up over a ridge making pars is is an adventure right now just see how many pars you can make Matias Dominguez uh will’ll always be able to say he won the inaugural Latin America amateur championship and
And Chile’s won three I I think that was surprising in fact three of the first four Argentina with the deepest h history in the sport of golf in the region finally got on the board when Abal gajos won in Mexico and then a year ago Mato winning in Puerto
Rico alado Ortiz is now playing professionally as well remember that final round 66 and there’s you know sort of a pattern that’s been established players contend They Come Close they don’t get it done they return and they finally break through to win Neiman was a runner-up to Ghana in the playoff here
In Chile he shot 63 in front of the home fans in Santiago to win Ortiz had been in that playoff as well in 2017 he wins in 2019 and as well Fernandez deola had come close before winning and some uh nice messages here from some of these past champions to today’s
Competitors h amig For what it means to me is the world I mean for us to have the opportunity to play in this event and to have the chance of playing majors so forth it’s going to be a great opportunity and I look forward to um playing my third lack and
Hopefully have a chance to win it so we are at the 10th now hoping to join that group of Champions at the Latin America amateur Championship Dela fente has 240 yards left two20 covers in line great shot yeah that’s really well done to get the ball on that
Green he’s going to have that difficult putt we just saw coming up over a ridge down through a valley back up over another Ridge judging the speed so difficult but beautiful shot now vente marcelio up against that Skyline of Panama City and Andy what made that shot so
Impressive by Santiago is you really have to commit to this because with that water right it’s so easy to come over the top of it pull it long left but out of bounds is just over this green you know you get into that position 240 230 you got an iron in your
Hand you’re going to go for it know you’re not going to go and hit pitching wage to you know you got to go for it but it’s a very it’s a very tricky AR Shot there you go he brought a little left this could be trouble oh that one needs to take a seat it it did hit very softly hit kind of in a low flat area if it lands on the down slope on the back edge of that green it’s gone but from
There again there’s so many difficult pitches around these greens it’s hard to get a close it’s just easy to do that yeah you’re bailing out at the last second you just won’t trust it a good look maybe just gave it a little tug at the bottom see there’s that little devil in
Your head that’s telling you not to do something in my face it’s not a little devil it’s a big fat one this the driveable par for 11 Jose Islas I imagine there’s going to be a bit sting in this one you see a I see a
Lot of guys trying to do that and to be honest with that wind oh what a shot it’s very hard you know my gosh that was a good shot he what what he just did is very hard to do it’s 297 to carry he carried that ball right at 300
Yards boy that was really really well done eastl has a ton of game mentioned that he made it to the quarterfinals of the US am last year where he lost to Auburn’s Jason Butler so this the ninth Edition coming from 28 countries in territories Chile we mentioned has had a
Great deal of success Panama for the second time that speaks to you know Panama having the facilities and the wherewithal and the ability to do it the right way 72 holes of stroke play and there will be a 36 hole cut and now third shot at the 10 for Miguel
Ordones and Rich this man is well traveled he’s played some of the best golf courses in the world was listing off some of them for me before the round Chicago golf club wingf foot Maran played his first ever Crump cup at Pine Valley which is one of the most prestigious amateur
Events he gets around that’s a shot I’ve seen him play a lot of times and he usually does it very well yeah very smart play laid up over here has a nice angle to attack this hole Y is the back portion it’s the green holding can he throw it all the
Way over that Ridge and get it all the way back there but it’s you got a wedge in your hand the wind is blowing a little from the right you can get you can get aggressive but you really got to got you really got to have some spin control on
It can really throw it high up in there it can get get cut up end up short he’s pretty good at driving these wedges in lower with some spin on them and that’s what you need to do and just barely cover that little Ridge over there so
I’m I’m getting he can carry this up three four yards short of the hole maybe yeah he has 111 yards needs to make sure he carries it at least 105 to get up on top this one needs to go that’s going to spin back down in that lower
Area yeah he’s not happy with that one at all that’s right in his wheelhouse they have all come back to the early leader Omar Morales of Mexico plays college golf at UCLA mention he had the distinct honor of hitting the opening T shot at the US Open at Los Angeles
Country Club last June after his round he talked with John Suli graas Omar Morales am I saying it right yep y totally right take take us through the first round your Sensations about this first 18 holes yeah I mean I played really well uh really solid golf
All 18 holes I had a a little hiccup there on seven where I made double but other than that I was you know cruising three under through eight holes and um had a lot more in the tank so looking forward for these next few days you’ve
Been under the pressure of leading a US Open and major how much does that experience help you today oh totally I think 100% it has helped me not only today but uh future tournaments after for that uh occasion to just stay in the present at another level and you know
Very helpful how hard is it not to think about the Masters US Open the Open Championship is is it hard yeah I think it’s totally hard not to think about it but at the same time you just got to stay within yourself and hit one shot at a time and I think if
You get into a good Rhythm it’s it’s good not to think about it um if you get into a good Rhythm then you know it’s you won’t think about it a all right so he is the highest rated player in this field according to the world Amer golf rankings and while this
Championship lost some of you know the top 40 50 players in that ranking it is deeper um down into the top 200 than they’ve ever been speaks to what’s happening across the Reg hit that opening t- shot at Lac also played the Mexico open fante on the PGA tour missed
The cut by one 67 round two so he can go now third for marcelio here at the par 510th going with a very straight-faced wed which is a little surprising well that was a classy shot bouncing it let it slide up over that Ridge well done so you won two years opens
Johan was asking him a question exactly about you know your thoughts first round your leading can you can you tell us a little bit about what helped you did what you did you I think the you know it’s real easy to say just stay in the
Pra present try to hit the shot you’re getting ready to hit but that was something that I felt like I could do quite well at major championships I I thought better and thought probably was able to grind harder when when you’re at Majors and I
Like the idea that you had to shoot you know even par was a great score that was something that fit my mentality and I really enjoyed that part but you know if you could stay in the president and only be thinking about what you’re doing at that point I think that’s it sounds
Simple but it’s really hard to do particularly Under Pressure you saw that fist pump from hirano this is exactly the kind of Championship he was hoping for there’s an eagle putt good effort from Dela fente he did not want to have to chase guys like Dela Fuente on a on a
A more benign course to 1520 underpar he he thought hero did that he would have a chance if it was somewhere in the 500 under par area I I think the fact that this type of golf course and the conditions we’re going to play probably plays into a more mature older player
That’s seen more conditions and been around a little bit more and knows that I don’t have to go out there and shoot a really good score I can just get it around like this guy it’s a birdie putt much out for that one what’s this one do well he may make
It is that a prediction yeah oh I know him too well I think there’s a chance in there oh did you get it right Omar oh great wow nice yeah that’s really the strength of his game it’s his short game around the greens putting he’s so solid
So Omar what’s the scene like I mean just you you’re not competing in an amateur event good games out here at uh at Santa Maria or at the golf club of Panama just all the time all the time all the time here these last long Eagle putt people like playing here yeah and
Golf Club of Panama will host the corn Ferry tour yes early next month in about two weeks I think yeah you’re going to play there we’ll see and now this is uh viente marcilio at the 10th it’s birdie putt that was a heck of a pit shot from
Short and left this about 8 feet moving to his left got to give it enough speed oh man it just Dove the last foot so stay de presson Andy that’s it’s hard to do but I I was able to raise my focus at Majors and and get locked in a
Little bit better that I wasn’t nearly as good normal weeks as I was at Majors so and then when the when the Mind started thinking ahead how do you how do you pull how do you rain it back in yeah that’s that’s hard um you know I think everybody has
Little games they play in their head but um I thought it was important that you maybe you have some conversations with your caddy that had nothing to do with golf maybe you’re talking about a football team or a a a basketball game or something else that was going on and
In doing that when you came back I think it was easier to get locked in on what you’re doing right he he’d like all day to talk about his Green Bay Packers shock the football World by destroying the Dallas Cowboys can it happen two weeks a row too soon
Rich oh we all right birdie putt now for Jose isas this would be really nice TT from the front of the green great t-shot really good two-putt beautiful birdie great birdie yeah and the 11th hole really is designed to be a hole that the Architects thought you could drive it up
Around the green it’s not just move the tea up and call it a drivable par 4 it was actually built for this Aaron Jarvis could use use it oh there you go try to claw his way back right he played the Masters a couple of years ago made two at hole number 12
Both the first and second round Aaron Jarvis and then as we mentioned went on to make the cut the old course at St Andrews made it on the number by shooting 3 69 on day two with Sergio Garcia and Stuart sing two former major Champs so here now are the invitees for
The Masters Tournament Crystal lampre we saw him had the lead briefly with 65 day one at the open at Liverpool 6′ 8 in tall Georgia Tech South Africa Nick Dunlap has a ton of talent runner up at the USA was Neil Shipley that was exciting steuart hagat know just uh one
Of the all-time great mid amateur players and then I was down at Royal Melbourne to see Jasper stubs win in an absolute Thriller he made some clutch butts down the stretch and we’re a long ways from Australia just as pretty a spot here in Panama it depends if if I’m not sure if that’s San blast Islands or I don’t I don’t think so that sort of looks more like baso or maybe somewhere in the archipelagos Pacific so could you get there by from here or yeah that’s they’re beautiful and what a beautiful downtown in s
Years I was surprised how many more big buildings have been built in the last seven years when we got here man it look flying in it looked like New York City flying in it does but this is this is I think maybe my favorite hole in the golf course is
11th hole gives you a lot of different opportunities oh this is 12 this is 12 12 yeah and and the pin position we have today is something that makes you think a lot a lot of guys and the same thing happens on on 11 send in the T box
You’re thinking okay I can get it in the green and you think it’s automatically a driver but not really same thing happens here now he’s pulling a potential a three or a five to try to be short of that bunker in the left I think and that’s actually a great shot into that
Pin you want something full cuz the hle is cut just over the bunker on the left and on on a little Downs slope you need to be able to spin it I watched some guys there early this morning without the wind blowing and it was really tough to get it
Close oh my that if you bomb a drive and you end up 70s you got no chance yeah yeah to give yourself a full Sand Wedge would be perfect something you can spin you can hit hard something between that 130 110 shot you can control the
Spin you can get it high up in there y anything closer than that you’re battling it well for more information on the exciting youthful initiative where kids age 7 to 15 have the chance to compete at Augusta National go to drivechipandputt.com for more always love that you’re 7even years old you
Look up at the leaderboard at 18 and there’s your name right where we saw the names through the years of Tiger Woods and Phil Michelson and Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicholas and keep going that would be pretty amazing can’t say enough about the good work they’re doing at Augusta National
They’re almost Evangelical in their belief that they have an obligation to grow the game around the world and here we are in Panama is Hector Ortega of Paraguay anybody that’s in the red numbers right now is doing some special things out there and he’s going have a
Little bit of work to do to stay there we’re going to see a lot of these putts this length the four five sixf Footers East L at the 12th really takes discipline I think to hit a utility club or something to lay up here get up there and think I can
Drive it 40 50 yards from the green well then you’ve got no chance and this Ball’s long and left you need to have it in the Fairway away playing the rough’s not very long but it’s just enough that you can’t spin it but you got to have a very discipline
Mind this is what we’re talking about you you you’re better off just understanding that you need to spin it into this into the spins especially when they’re talked the way they are you’ve got a lot of options here at the 11th you can lay it up in the 210 to 220
Range you can hit it two oh here it is this power 4 11 one of my favorite holes in the golf course you see some players Lay It Up just past that 100 marker on the left or you take it down here as far as you can we’ll see some balls on the
Green not a bad spot is 30 35 yards short left of this screen so you’re working right up the angle of the green I think the most difficult hole location today is on this back right hand corner it’s a little shelf that’s about the size of three pool tables hooked
Together hard to get it back there you’re going to see some interesting putting the different colors in the green that’s a different Direction the grain’s going so the top light where the pin is is higher everything else slopes back down away just a beautiful lot of options whatever you want to take
On we’ll stay right here at 11 see if Miguel can make a birdie here well Andy you mentioned how small this section is I mean if he gets this up top it is an incredible iron shot yeah even even though it’s see and that’s and that’s what he’s saying cuz I
Was trying to pay attention to what he’s saying he he’s going in the middle of the green he’s going to try to play a little cut shot and he just said it you know if it’s in the middle of the green I’m there trying to get two
Putts that’s a guy who’s played here a lot that understands the difficulty of this whole location I’m not so sure if he flew it all the way in that top if it would stop back there I think going back into the wind it will
Stop but if if he hits his number I mean he’s going to have inside of 15t for birdie but would not be surprised to see this on the lower level in the middle of the green he’s such a good putter he thinks he can make it from down there
Yeah this one needs to get up oh that’s a big mistake that could possibly have buried in the face B maybe hope not yeah if it’s if it’s a decent lie it’s not a bad spot he can get it up and in if it’s not pluged he’s really good at the Bunker play
So yeah I would think he can really get it get it up now guessing the wind just got more of that than he thought two wedges in a row that he’s come up short on holes that he expect him to do his thing but that can help
Happen in those SSH shots because the angle you’re hitting into it it really Narrows down towards where the pin is and so you start trying to like kind of guide it you know and that’s when you don’t really hit it fully and you get short and and the disappointing when you play
To your strength and then you don’t pull it off okay this is a Hector Orga now tied for the lead this to save good work right there and he’s playing with some confidence confid match play back in his home country of Paraguay in December nice clean card you eliminate the
Mistakes out here try to make a lot of pars if you happen to hold a 20-footer for birdie that’s awesome great angle on this one so Andy what’s your read about cut line top 10 at the end of the day oh gosh we have I mean there’s no
Idea yet um it is that really hard to read it up I think especially here uh we’ll have a better idea at the end of the day as as you know you’re disappointed when you got into 75 and when the day is all over with you’re going to be
Okay that was well done that was very well done Y and Andy I think with this whole location being on that shelf I like pushing it up here today I I mean I think it really that angle he had really makes us a much simpler shot than trying
To pull pull it in there from 90 100 yards absolutely just better make sure you hit a good one now marcilio well he hit a great t- shot found the front left part of this screen but he’s got a good 75 80 ft and I think
He’s got hit it up there close to The Fringe I think he would do really well to get it inside of Santiago’s approach shot I agree so he started at North Texas their coach left he decided to go into the transfer portal he’s now at at Texas Tech ludvig Oar has now gone
Professional was a superstar Texas Tech vente didn’t have a chance to interact with him a whole lot however and this what he told me last night when visente came back from the Eisenhower trophy which was played in the Middle East last year he went back into their training
Facility at Texas Tech and ludvig was there again he hadn’t really met him yet but ludvig knew exactly who vente was he came over to him he said vente I’ve heard a lot about you how the eyes and cup go just to sort of underscore what a
Good Soul ludvig oar is and vente told me he’s had a chance to watch him hit balls he said he doesn’t miss the middle of the face yeah he’s he’s a terrific star I mean he’s going to be a big time that’s well done from down there and
About the same as the pit shot you can see how he’s cons considerably fitter physically than he was a year ago and he said he worked really hard on that aspect of the game he he works with the the trainer who’s in charge of the football team at Texas Tech good
Lie yeah was very fortunate for it not to plug pretty a really good bunker player wow that’s a little un uncommon all right Aaron Jarvis now second shot 12th hole that’s pretty good shot right there that’s a really good shot to be able to have that much control on on that ball
Landing on the down slope over the bunker and back to the 11th and Colt nice to be back in Panama I know you played some golf here through the years I have I played the corn fairy event down here a couple of times always had a great experience just such a fun
City and what’s the capital city like Omar you live here I live here um like like I told you you know a couple days ago you know very Dynamic um full of you can do a lot of things here and one of the things at least I like the most
It’s you know you have a lot of choices for where to go to eat and it’s fantastic as you’ve seen um as I was telling you as well you know what you want to go to the beach um two hours away Atlantic or Pacific you can swim in
In both oceans in the same day in the same day yeah you can and know you can go to the sunblast arelo on the Caribbean side that’s you know 90 minutes by car uh Pearl Islands on the Pacific side I’ve been there and that is well gous you have one Island
For each day of the year so you know can spend some time here and enjoy yourself all right that’s a kind of a bad bogey right there now aru at number three yeah par three today really a brutal hole 221 back into some wind did you handle that one today
Andy if you would have seen the up and down that I made on that hole that’s a good shot right there where did you miss it where’ you miss it to the right short short right over that on that side and it had a it was in the rough a little plug downhill
Jesus but I put it up to 6 foot and made it oh and you ran off that green yeah came my running here’s East L of 12 this one could be chipped in you don’t get many straightforward little chipping runs like that out here you see Andy the key here is just to
Miss on the right spots you know I end up with a 75 today it didn’t feel like I was playing at for a 75 I just put some some shots in the wrong places no chance and you have no chance yeah little disappointing right there good look at birdie but still one under
Par one of four one under and tied for the lead and with the wind blowing like it is today there are no bad poers out there you’re right everyone you can put up there is fine obviously you’re a little disappointed not taking advantage of the great drive and great pitch
Green’s running about 10 and a half everything kind of from that spot kind of drags off to the right Marcelo to join the group at one under and he does this sente marcelio I think we need to watch out for him I think he is on a mission after being
Runner up in third place the last two years he looks like he is is going the right direction had a long talk with him last night at the the welcome ceremony he’s a really bright young guy he’s engaged thoughtful organized in what he wants to do this week and with his future now
Jarvis for another birdie the grain is real issue too past palum has a little bit heavier grain than you see a lot of times and the putts were the I mean that one looked like the grain just took it and took it hard left there’s some slope in there too but definitely pushes
It yeah that’s that number 12 hole maybe I’m not saying it’s the last birdie opportunity because it’s not but I guess one of the easiest ones but then you’re starting on that last stretch those last six holes especially now that the 16 it’s not a part five it’s a part four it
Becomes very hard I really like the 12th green I think it’s one of the better greens out here it doesn’t have quite as much crazy stuff in it but it’s just got gentle yes our said he’s been working on keeping his right elbow little closer to his body used to fly
Away and he’s one of the few guys in this field that carries a two iron going with that just trying to stay short of this bunker down the left that’s 260 to get to well he’s watching this one closely I think that’s going to be just fine that is
Perfect basically a driving iron that with his length that was some t- shot here at the par 33 this is our Sue to get to one under bar just a gentle nudge and we’re seeing an awful lot of fist pumping on day number one every putt you make here is a great
Putt the the short game skills will will be either exposed are showing off this week Guatemala having a day here at the Latin America amateur championship and now Dela fente Rich we used to joke that Thursday fist bumpers go home Friday night think it’s that Latin passion THS Thursday to
Sunday Del fente right there won two tournaments at Houston already well C on days like this when you’re making those bus you really need those fist bumps man this tournament’s just a little different a lot on the line all right whereon four straight hole water all
Down the right side he likes that one quick snatch of the te I think he needs something positive to here happen here not a single birdie yet three bogey so he’s just grinding along but a couple of birdies and you’d be in an awesome Position A beautiful view of downtown Panama City it is a growing Metropolis so many things to do great restaurants good golf here you know it’s pretty simple to get here from America we need to get more Americans coming down here on vacation come down play golf and there’s a a good look at Town
Downtown yes they have traffic issues just like everywhere in the world but it is worth it great great City we’ve been here couple times now and the restaurants are incredible the weather’s always good which ones have you tried I don’t know the names of them I just always come out with something really
Good we’re going to M Mito Mito tonight yeah you’re going to enjoy it yeah so but it’s a great spot for golf great spot to sit in the Sun and really really a difficult golf course today well Andy we’ll be happy to have a here yeah it’s a good spot to hang
Out got some holes that you can make some birdies coming in but boy there’s some tough hole locations we’ve got a lot of hole locations tucked three four yards from the edges I me as you’re saying once you get 13 there’s not many birdie opportunities I mean this is a terera at the
13 and we are live first round of the Latin America amateur Championship I owna Steven is down there yeah and another Fairway here for terceros he can breathe a sigh of relief left himself a long shot in here though at this 13th of Par Four that was beautifully done just on the
Very back Edge tough whole location to get it close to that’s going to be a very tough but going into this last stretch you may have you may have a shot on 14 and 15 or a birdie then the other ones are are going to be a grind and this ball
Sitting up nicely for Miguel ordones at the 12 good shot that was really smart play just a left the hole didn’t have to land it on as much down slope ball stopped very nicely that was a terrific play Maybe birdie number one bring in Cole with delente yeah perfect t- shot about 110
Yards left these Fairways are perfect ball sits up on a t should really be able to put a lot of spin on this from here it took a lot of discipline for him to lay back here versus just blasting it down like he could have got it within 40
Or 50 yards of the green this one just a little right of it but look at that playing out of the Fairway with a a full shot with a sand wedge you put some spin on well done he has good hands a lot of Moxy not lacking confidence Hector Ortega from Paraguay
This for part the 14th think about Paraguay guy you played some golf with I’m guessing Carlos Franco oh absolutely guy never hit a practice ball just go to the te move a little bit and pound it about 320 down the middle one of those guys you like Bruce litzky just
Made it look easy without seeming to work too hard at it back to the 12th in Vicente marcelio of Argentina Rich this might be my favorite golf swing in the championship just so simple he flushes it just 94 yards left this is green light all the way
Oh this one might need to spin oh gosh that’s two sand wedges inside 100 yards he’s absolutely butchered Andy yeah and that ball is creeping further away got to take advantage of those great t- shots so right now the opening round here in Panama five players in these
Swirling winds are at one under par including this young man from Argentina vente marcelio he has some work to do to carve out aart at the 12 yeah Omar Morales the lowest ranked player in this field he is in comfortably while the other players are scratching and trying to survive the rest of this day very very difficult golf course today some difficult hole locations you can’t miss the ball in the wrong spot
You could be 50 60 feet away and be much better off than 15 or 20 feet in a lot of cases is there any chance the wind could die down a little bit this afternoon or is it going to just keep humming the rest of the day May towards 4
430 but not much usually when it when it picks up from the north usually stays on I went out late yesterday afternoon and it was blowing really high at 4 or 5:00 but a beautiful scene Great Golf Course and what a championship this is best players in Latin America Sony so
Many going to college in the states right now the opportunities are endless how much fun would have been to have this when you’re 17 18 years old I knew that I knew that question was coming Andy I wish we had it um you know when I when I finished College my my
First thought was all right I need to start getting some experience into the professional and the only way to do it I guess properly in some way was to turn professional and just go on try to grind around on development series or mini tours on on the Latin American
Tour so many more opportunities and when these youngsters get through college and come on tour they’re really ready to play yes 12th hole vente marcelio tied for the lead that wasn’t such a bad spot in Andy but if he would have gone farther down potentially five more
Yards aru after the birdie at the third here at the fourth fourth hole another good Par Four Wind should be helping out of the left oh another really good shot can we go back to back that would be pretty special three and four Dela fente after slinging that wedge shot in
Here is this going to try to slide right a little bit that just wouldn’t go it’s very drinky the wind might helped hold that out that’s a that it really seems like it’s going left to right but really doesn’t moves too much it’s almost like
It’s inside left and you got to hit it with Pace if not you sort of Miss it he was right there at the Finish when Aaron Jarvis won two years ago at teeth of the dog to compo really a talented player we seen him disappointed with a couple of Misses
Here the last couple holes for birdies but he’s given himself great opportunities he’s the American Athletic Conference individual Champion Houston won the team title as well now ordonia to get it back to two [Applause] over there’s a very worthy fif fist pump nice birdie first one of the day back to two
Over what would be pretty cool Omar is the two of you could be paired on the weekend for some meaningful rounds here in your home country it’s precisely on my mind RI um I looking into it uh into the leaderboard thinking about you know what
Needs to happen for for me in my round tomorrow and um just got to go out there tomorrow and make some really good committed swings hopefully we do have that that you’re saying right now there’s only 14 players better than two over so they’re working your direction nice up and
In while we have a moment let’s go down to John Sutliff John Rich it’s almost been 10 years since we were in the first tournament in Buenos Iris Argentina if something I’ve notices how many kids have seen that the road to finding good golf is education now we have about 65%
Of the players that go to university or are committed to University and also today I talked with chairman Fred Ridley about his message about giving back to the game somebody did something for you to then give something back so I think it was wonderful and then I also have a
Very special message for Andy North Andy it’s going to be BOS 10 years y like The Flintstones you can have your big T-Bones Stak medium rare with Chipotle next year in Buenos sidtis so prepare yourself Andy no room service you’re going out with the Mexican why don’t you have the picture
Of the last time we were there John all right so you’re wondering exactly what John was talking about here it is the announcement today that the 2025 Latin America amateur Championship will be going to parar golf where it uh All Began buenos AIS that is U where Matias Dominguez of
Chile won that year alandro toasty had a chance on the very last hole he’s now a rookie on the PGA tour he won on the corn Ferry tour last last summer so I was in buos saris for the announcement 10 years ago of the Latin America amateur championship and it was there
That I met the most prolific Latin player of all time the late great Roberto Divas senzo who how’s this Omar 50 years ago won his Fifth and final Panama open title and now we’re back and a new generation of Latin players were chasing their dreams I never forget what D.A senzo
Told me I I asked him about the scorecard incident at the 68 Masters which cost him the playoff with Bob goldby and he never pointed the finger at Tommy Aaron who had written down four instead of three at the 17th hole and Diva senzo said to me best mistake
Of my life and I said why he said because money easy to make your good name not so easy so that’s important for all of these young competitors to to remember Divas senzo was then um given the Bob Jones award for sportsmanship by the USGA and you know he touched you know
All three entities that are behind this Championship you know uh won the open at Royal Liverpool in ‘ 67 where Bobby Jones won the second leg of his Grand Slam in 1930 and then USGA with the Bob Jones award and now Marcelo speaking of Aran Tina
Bo another drive it looks like he just absolutely hammered no roll at all still would have carried the bunker that’s a big drive back into the wind about 280 yards and now the birdie putt for arzu Place say a college golf at uh Harding University in Arkansas this for the
Lead so Omar I mentioned Diva s who were some of your Heroes growing up in this region well definitely de sheno was one of them you know everything you mentioned is spot on um grew we grew up also watching Camilo play here in Panama so as young kids you know we always look
Into it and say you know okay there’s someone who’s making it uh you always saw also you know anel Caba from from Argentina you know won the Masters and all that so you know we’ve had a we’ve had a run of really good Latin American players players throughout the year and
Um here in Panama which is one of the things that I believe we were talking about there’s been some great names that that have played and won here in Panama and uh hopefully hopefully we can keep right into history all right Ortega a tie for the
Lead and he does Andy you won a tournament I know you played quite a bit professionally here in the in the Latin America region you won in Argentina didn’t you Cordoba um Cabrero told me the story that he was like a nine or 10 year old learning how
To caddy and walked around and watched me play the whole week that’s pretty cool they all came out of the caddy ranks absolutely right now it is uh one under par as the number and Omar Morales of Mexico plays his college golf at uccla
In with one under 69 on a day when the winds and the greens firmness making this quite a challenge it is day one of the Latin America amateur Championship yeah those are some good moves I like that’s great kid in the middle right there in the blue shorts we’re going to
See him we’re going to see him teeing it up in the Latin America amateur very soon so Andy Corda beend very cool well done C agenda that’s where you played Argentina yeah fantastic billion years ago what kind of well start him young get him interested have some fun you can’t get
In a a lot of trouble out in the golf course with a bag on your back chasing a ball that’s the beauty of what’s happening this part of the world the growth is just fantastic it’s a par 314th that is a very difficult hole location if you get it past the hole
There good luck on two putting from the valley over the in the middle part of that green how’ you handle that one today actually misre the Club selection but um but I was long I made good two putts I believe that if the wind’s not blowing so hard that me maybe one of
Those bird chances you have in the back line and they we’re looking down this is the 14th right below us in the left then 15 a shorter Par Four going back through the homes that is a great birdie opportunity both 14 and 15 the the greens are both diabolical greens that
If you hit a good approach and get it in the right quadrant fine if you’re in the wrong wrong quadrant that’s going to be a tough tough two-putt but you were right in the middle this de development it’s a beautiful beautiful area tons of new condos being
Built and itn’t some great shops and it doesn’t stop as long as those ships keep going through the canal there’s always going to be stuff Happening Here one of the home favorites here in Panama miguelo oron has two overp par and only three back this is a mean Par Four here
This from 206 this one headed left towards the bunker if he’s got a decent line there there’s some green to work with should be able to get that one up and in Jose eastl at 15 going with driver there’s different ways to play this hole see some of the
Players in practice RS laying up short of those bunkers or you can just blast it down there a mile and he has hit a couple of t- shots that turns that hole into a birdie hole another player from Mexico delente this group just got told they
Are on the clock so Dela FTE going to go ahead and play oh get up all the way to the top is that going to stay there that’s a good shot yeah get a mark on that and now vente marcilio of Argentina he has 189 and Andy I think a
Lot of these high scores are because of these ho locations they’ve been very difficult yeah I that’s one thing I thought this morning Cole that looking at these there are a bunch of them you had no chance to get get close to the hole and if you miss when they’re on the
Edges if you miss it over this screen or there’s so many places it’s so difficult to get it up and in so Vicente marcelio trying to make it two in a row for Argentina a year ago we were in Puerto Rico what a championship we had with Mattel de Olivera
Delivering an emphatic Victory Fort Argentina when I was walking down the fway coming into the green I almost got into years from now on basically my life has changed that will do it Mato Fernandez the olera of Argentina has won the 2023 Latin America Amer Championship everything is so
Motivational the amateur dinner all the practice rounds the part three I mean competing against the best of the world everything is just so motivating that I’m really looking forward to it I know firsthand that there’s a lot more here this week than just the pros it’s about what we’re celebrating here Tonight I’m very excited to get the week started I’m trying to enjoy every second that I get to play so I really want to get started but I also want to enjoy for me it’s like a dream I don’t I can’t believe it but he is here it’s
Magic It’s Magic I think it’s better than everything I watch in TV it seems that you are that you’re dreaming I don’t think there’s anything that comes close to the Masters I’ve been dreaming about playing the Masters all my life and now I have have the chance to do it
So I think it just motivates every single golfer in the region to get better and to be ready for that week so that they can have their life change Too how about that uh he’s turned professional he’s playing the PG T Americas now primarily in the Latin region you know Andy so many players tell us they watched the Latin America amateur Championship when they were 8 n 10 years old that is a potent recipe the
Dream of a child support from others and then suddenly you know the path to A Whole New World opens up you got to have dreams you’ve got to have Heroes um you know all of us are like oh sorry about this one this is diabolical he he got all of it
But that’s not an easy up and in from there either coming back down the hill those sprinklers might be a problem this is just brutal so unlucky that’s that’s a young man shot Andy there no that’s when you’re playing with your friend just reach it out there
And pull it out no I don’t think so thank you very much done that one before great camera work shot that that marcelio has that PO is it ain’t easy got a lot of slope got to fight the grain then it should get really quick
Yep did a very good J well judged yeah very well judged from down there that could have could have thrown that four or five feet bite pretty easily fifth hole and aru one of the early surprises here from Guatemala we saw him hit a great iron at the third which is
Playing more difficult than the fifth see if he can get duplicated another great shot well done just over that Ridge and there it goes my goodness that’s still halfway makeable CU it’s it’s in at least the right quadrant yeah you got an uphill pot in there you can go aggressive I did all
Right let’s see if Miguel can do something crazy here get the pay it’s disappointing after a terrific Drive pulled the iron just a little bit and got a bad break and gives back the shot he just earned on the last hole right so planting seeds and they are producing around the world
This was Jasper stubs of Australia winning the asia-pacific amateur Championship fall of last year at Royal melbour he made some clutch putts late what a golf course beating Wy ding Samson Jang and the 2024 Asia Pacific amateur Championship is going to Japan Tao Club the gotemba course right
Up against Mount Fuji you played there andy I’ve played there it’s a beautiful golf course and the kids will absolutely have a blast there they’ll be really tested it’s going to take a great player to win but it’s a really cool experience south of Tokyo about 90 minutes by the
Bullet train now Dela fente a par at 13 never hurts you that’s a tough tough hole so you see the Asia Pacific amateur this week the latinam so Augusta National the governing bodies USG RNA you know they all have skin in the game they’re building these Big Tent
Events and ensuring there will be you Pathways from uh the elite Amer ranks to the professional level all around the world so there you see the dignitaries and you know uh just how serious they are about the great game of golf in Japan love it uh it’s I I was fortunate
I made a lot of trips over there early in my career and it was absolutely amazing how much people 50% of the people at that time that considered themselves golfers never played on a golf course they just went hit balls in a in a net that is it’s a really disappointing
Bad break second shot that’s a that’s a double bogey that is going to sting and now for the solo lead this is arzu he’s one of the few players that’s been is making birdies out there he’s made four of them today already brgy were talking a lot about
What the governing bodies are doing and the truth is that you know this tournament really inspires man you know I I’m not playing as I used to before I don’t have the time but I surely make some time to try to get prepared for this because when it comes this week you
Know you really want to be there you really want it and now at 14 this is a delente they moved the tea up it’s playing 166 yards he’s hitting some quality shots I know the RNA is investing in programs golf programs here in Panama high on
Their agenda will be to grow the game for women young women uh here in Panama yes they are and they’re working closely with the golf golfing Federation to try to get that done um we’re trying to we’re trying to also get the the girls to compete also in the same
Ranking sometimes with us just to elevate the game and we we do those mix up and it really works Marcelo that 166 back into the wi playing closer to 175 right now that’s a smart shot on that same spot uh Rick so the RNA has been helping us build this tournament in Central
America called the Copa volcanes uh which is the you know the the countries of Central America the main five the best players of each country and we all go compete we have have a team competition and we have an individual competition sort of like the South American amateur Championship sort to
Say and um it again it just really pushes you when you have these tournaments there’s a lot of emotion you know at the end of the day those emotions they they inspire you to to really really dig deep in your find the motivation find that passion put in the
Work and when you come here man you’re going to grind I can tell you I know Miguel he’s a really good friend of mine and he right there he’s thinking I got to get this is done and it comes from that it comes from saying you know what
I want to be here in the weekend I want to compete I want to try to win this thing and I truly believe with these conditions this week if a player were to have a round of 73 74 75 they still have a chance because it’s not going to get
Easier and there’s a a very unusual shot out of M Miguel and that will be another tough up and in Andy when I got here I was when I finished my round I was 58th in the field right now plus five it’s uh 36 yeah you sit here a little bit longer
It’s going to get better I might just stay for a whole transmission this is this is a Omar this is a really strong debut in the broadcasting Booth I want to tell you that we’re we’re loving having you with us I appreciate it guys it’s hon it’s
Been a fun first day tough one uh we’re going to continue to follow Panama’s own Miguel ordones here day one of the Latin America amateur Championship me spe for for needs to make a par save here right uh word donz is really get him reeling right now you could use it
Up and down coming off the double bogey that’s going to be the story of the week Andy six-footers five Footers Big Break small breaks grain you’re going have to keep your patience this week big time it’s a family affair here this week Andy we have four brother tandems uh Duke Cru
Jean Paul and John L Franco and benam Fernandez Aaron and Andrew Jarvis from the Cayman Islands and then Lucas and Simone wrestler from Chile younger brothers of Toto Ghana who won here in Panama in 2017 vente marcelio get there not quite so he’ll stay at one
Under and in that six way tie for the lead so it’s Argentina two from Mexico one from Paraguay Guatemala Colombia yeah so this was a too Ghana they got rained out but they have the picture Toto and Lucas and Simon the brothers at Augusta National Toto professionally playing in this
Region still that that was one of the best latinam we’ve we’ve ever had just in terms of excitement uh here in Panama we had or six players that had a chance coming down the stretch and ended up a three-way playoff right that that featured W Nan and alado Ortiz and and
Toto hit it a foot to win right Ortega and that was played at Panama golf club that’s a bogey putt for Ortega so that will drop Ortega a one over par and when mayora of Colombia also just made a bogey and so we’re down to four at one under par all
Right oron could use this one stay at four over this is a must make at this point Hold the Line yeah all right that’s how tough the conditions are when you you’re grinding away and you’re giving it little fif fist pumps on day one just to stay in the
Game let’s talk about the 15th hole where they’re headed Andy yeah this is really a cool par for wind be into the players from the right you have a couple of choices you can hit it about 250 and lay up short where you got a great big
Wi Fairway or you if you can carry it 275 you can carry it over the bunkers and you get it down there where you’ve got a short iron this green is the most difficult Green in some ways the highest point is right in the middle of the
Green the front goes back to the front and the once you get over that Ridge everything backs goes back off the back of the green so you need an iron shot and keep it short of the hole here do not go long but Andy you know one of the
One of the toughest things in that in that shot is is reading the reading the wind on the second shot cuz it you’re filling it down like into you from the right and that is really pushing the those buildings in there making it swirl and you’re hitting right at it and you
You may just end up short in the bunker you try to push it too hard and then hit it over and you got nothing and you’re looking into a potential three poot yeah there’s about three or four holes out here where they’ve got the tall apartment buildings next near the golf
Course and that it does affect the wind flow dramatically we saw that back at 89 particularly yes Omar we we said that Miguel plays a quite a bit of mid- amateur golf in the United States how much do you get to the us to play and compete you know I was I
I try to go as much as I can uh with him uh to the US midam or we’re thinking about trying to ramp up and trying to play some more events um sometimes it’s just it’s just a matter of U trying to coordinate too many things right now I’m
In the business we’re trying to we’re growing we’re expanding we’re going to the states and there’s a lot of things happening and it takes time you know and what is your business we’re in Travel Assistance we assist there’s there’s a couple of great Twan events the usj has you guys should
Try to do that yes that’s what we want to do that’d be cool let’s see maybe this year I can make it up and uh try to go to us meam that’s uh that’s something that’s high on my agenda that would be great it’s another way in to the Masters
It’s another way in and the US Open DEA fente let’s bring in Colt listen Rick any way in is away that carried over the bunker and stopped dead know DEA fente marcelio look good right now and they were right at the top of the list of favorites coming
In now Ru second shot at the sixth this is a birdal hole today only 357 you put it in the Fairway get a a wedge in your hand you can do some damage do not want to miss that green to the right it runs right off the green that was a very smart
Play It’s the ninth plank of the Latin America amateur Championship 1008 players representing 28 countries and territories great mix on the lead leaderboard day one from Panama let’s take at some look at some highlights of what’s happened today here’s Morales finishing up on the last hole night a little par get in at one under 169 and he has very comfortably had lunch probably has his feet up maybe watching a movie this afternoon we play together the kids
Mashes there’s what a great putt from down below it I love it that is not ay how about marcelio at the par 33d this is a tough tough par three today 221 that is pretty tasty best shot of the day power five second Dente laid up perfectly and just took advantage of a nice little tap in birdie get the day started we are live at the 15th with Miguel oronas let’s bring in Colt didn’t have the Firepower to cover that Fairway
Bunker but drew a really nice lie has 129 yards left the lip should not be an issue all about making proper contact from here Andy yeah this is about judging the wind as Omar is telling us it’s very difficult to judge that swirls around these two buildings
What a shot love it whoa we got some fist pumping over here sitting next to me too only for my boy man that was a great shot he knock that one that gets him back to three over maybe make one more coming in and get in at 72 that was Sandy lyes fantastic
Shot marcilio big drive just 112 left oh my catches the front bunker he’s disgusted see that all from ordonia great Fairway bunker shots recent vintage Country Club at Brooklyn Matt Fitzpatrick at the US Open Breeze kicking up down there Colt it’s been pretty constant all day it’s
Just tough to figure out if it’s straight across or back into their face little low shot that was pretty cool yeah he just gave that a little chip that was beautiful he’s got those shots handy he’s he’s got a lot of game I’m really [Applause] impressed he’s hit the ball as well as
Anybody today all right now birdie putt at six for aru of Guatamala just coming down the hill just got to be careful not to give this one too much this is pretty quick just losing in it off and it’s trickling trickling and all of a sudden
It’s one of those three or four foot he’s got to clean up seven golf courses back in Guatemala 1500 registered players they had a good year in 2023 in addition to arzu players like Gabrielle palasio Miguel Leal Jose Toledo so you look at this best performance by
A Panamanian player that would be Miguel ordones right here six years ago you had the 22nd 26 so um I know how much you guys have put into this try to improve that Mel Miguel had a great run in club the golf um he grew up all there
Uh we’re we’re both members in that place right now we have the corn fur event going on in there it’s the I think it’s the toughest event on on the corn fur well they it was what three under made a playoff and in fact it was Sam
Saunders with Pearson Cy Cy winning done a lot of improve improvements to the golf course and um it’s made a the difference marcelio oh boy he caught way too much ball there’s a slope back there just a huge mistake after a perfect t- shot Cy against Saunders that was the Battle of
Of grand sons of Masters champions Charlie codyy and Arnold Palmer Arnold winning in 1956 here in Panama the Panama open that was his second professional win ever about Sam Sneed won it in 54 Doug Ford art wall Junior all Masters champions Arnold of course also winning
The US Open and then Diva senzo we mentioned won it five times and he’s an Open champ I think Curtis Strange W down here too he did I believe yes he did it’s nice to get national championships anyway you get them back in those days I believe the
Golf course was in Parker parar uh which today it’s a metropolitan area um but now back in club the golf as I was telling you um we put a lot of effort into improving the golf course it’s made a lot of difference it’s playing longer
Plays part 70 on the corn Ferry and it rebuilds you and that’s one of the things that this kids uh the other six seven players in the field from Panama are taking advantage of they get to play on a course like this or Club the golf
Where it’s very tough you get you got to hit the shots you got to really learn how to play the game I think talking to usj and RNA folks that were helping set up the golf course this week they wanted to really test these players so that one
You got the best winner and two for these youngsters understand what really difficult golf is and it it’s only going to make you get better we we try to do that a lot you know when when we started doing the setups for the ranking events for the kopa ROI gindo for you know
Every single tournament that we do here in Panama we really put a lot of attentions into playing with the t- boxes hiding the pins and and you know it helps you get you prepared to this type of events and Andy that’s you part of what
The USGA is doing as well you’re now on the executive committee is is providing the expertise terms of agronomy course setup a highest standards of championship play around the world well you’re you’re talking about improving the game it’s not not just the playing there’s so many other facets the the
Business part of it’s very important and uh we’ve seen in the nine years of this event we’ve seen so many positive changes it’s it’s it’s heartwarming and it’s exciting to understand what’s coming and we should give some credit as well to Tito Mata the ownership group right here at Santa Maria they have
Built an excellent property Hotel and golf course Spa restaurant outstanding amenities and service and we’ve been really well looked after all week all right now after that Sensational Fairway bunker shot oron all right Rich he’s got to just get this ball going it is so fast coming
Down the hill see we get a fist pump here no wasn’t committed to that one it’s so fast it’s hard to self to make a really solid putt when you know that it’s fast and you don’t want to run four or five ft by so you kind of ease into it instead of
Still accelerating you still have to accelerate had a great shot though didn’t he that bunker well played absolutely but he’s got he’s got some work now finishing these next few holes we were talking about the ownership group Rick and um you know what what they did what the
Directors in the in Santa Maria did you know what apul did to try to get this tournament build the way it was was an enormous mon work and um you see the commitment on it uh the guys just really trying to push and and get this golf
Course ready we wanted we we as Panama you know we wanted to show the world that we’re ready to host this type of events that we can get the best players here professionally as we do in in the corn Ferry or or as an amateur and really test
Their games and the hotel here is fabulous and the fact that you the kids can just fall out of bed and go to the practice range and here’s the tough 16th brutally long par 4 because it used to be a par five they’ve turned it into a
Power far for the turnour the bunker really doesn’t come into play if you can hit it about 288 290 you’ll get somewhere near that 150 yard marker with the wind helping out of the left probably able hit it down there and maybe hit a m iron or 7 eight iron
Something like that but really a tough hole location all the way in the back right hand corner if you miss this to the right it runs off the green something in the middle of that green and just putting up and taking a two putt probably isn’t the worst scenario
You see you see and I think I’m slipping too many Secrets but the truth is that it it doesn’t it feels down downwind but it’s not it it really pushes from the left and that that sort of tricks you when you’re hitting the apprach into the green again there’s some buildings
Around that area that really affect the wind currents they move the T faway also was narrow it it used to be wider we brought it in potentially about maybe five or six yards there’s a couple of T opportunities here they’re using the 507 T today combination of a front te but a
Deeper hole location so still well over 500 yards that it’s just SM like it’s smashed you see how the wind gets it takes it to the right perfect position yeah we are told that a couple of months ago there was no rough and they they’ve done a great job getting it
The fairways moved in make it a little bit tighter making it a little bit more important to drive the ball in the Fairway the rough is just enough to limit the amount of spin you can have you see Andy I missed the Fairway just a
Little bit on the right in there and the ball had no way of put it in the green I had a I think was a six iron in it cannot even move it about past 150 160 yards something that he does exceptionally well another Fairway there you [Applause] go now col
Melo been driving it beautiful all day and this is a guy when he showed up to North Texas before he transferred to Texas Tech had clubs that were all over the place length were all messed up lies LS everything the club manufacturers were amazed how good he was with the clubs he had
That one might get to the right hand rough there it is and that control is going to be an issue getting it back to that hole all right East L at 17 Iona yeah on the te with an eight iron this part three the penultimate hole playing a
Little bit down the breeze flag all the way at the back takes a lot to get it there 17 playing 190 today and stayed up on top of that Ridge another foot or two it goes all the way down to the left and gets pretty close that’s a big nine iron
Today has some Polish to his gamey SLO so too does this guy everybody impressed with viente marcilio of Argentina right now three at one under par Morales setting the early Pace with 69 at the Latin America amateur [Applause] Championship now we have Ortega for just a moment ago birdie birdie chance didn’t get it oh just slides by the hole that hole that looked beautiful going down there he’s playing some good golf anybody that shoots 72 or better today has played one heck of a Ronda golf
Just unfortunately the double bow get 16 we’ve seen seven and 16 just grab players and you just cannot miss it it’s from the back look back from behind the green at 16 you see there’s holes cut way in the back portion of that green here’s another one of those par
Fives they’ve turned into a par four arzu after a beautiful t-shot wind helping so it’s playing much shorter than the 470 but that doesn’t matter it’s still hard to get it on the green hang on hang on hang on hang on it’s crazy back to Panama City in Santa Maria
Golf Club round one of the Latin America amateur Championship here is the Panamanian Miguel ordonia is at the 16th and coln no is there found the dead center of the Fairway with his t-shot but has [Applause] two his longest iron is a four iron so I would expect that’s what this
Is just getting this on the putting surface it’ be a good shot looks like it’s headed left that one hops into right in the middle of Bunker has a little bit of grein to work with but that will not be easy down slope coming in there he said two or three pulls with
His irons today vente Marcelo [Applause] Can he control the spin coming out of the rough that’s a big question asking for to bite what a shot Sensational shot best shot by far we’ve seen at 16 to make make a birdie there is like a shot and a half on the field Santiago DEA [Applause]
Fente hole is just the flag stick is just a little bit to the left of that TV tower in the distance anything on this middle to back part of the green would be good didn’t like it at all that’s CAU the bunker way it splashed in there that one oh it’s okay
It came out of the plug Mark and it’s down on the bottom two interesting bunker shots coming up you see the Double T on that black golf bag right there for vente Marcelo Texas Tech Red Raiders there he is and that’s the school that uh just
Delivered ludig goar we’ve seen a lot of really good players from down in this part of the world that have gone there to play yeah Matias Dominguez the inaugural Latin America amateur Champion went to Texas Tech as well he recruited a lot of his friends to come with him
Well look all you know the college coaches all have eyes on Latin Golf Now number of players going to the University of Arkansas that’s where Mato Fernandez de Olivera played uh alado Ortiz uh five or six kids who’ve already committed to go to the states that are
Playing here this week yeah the leader uh one of the leaders Omar Morales in with 69 plays at UCLA e spent a little time with Casey Martin at Oregon now back in Mexico just kind of doing his own thing and doing it really well this guy’s this guy’s polished
Right here he he plays quite a bit of golf with Abraham aner lives in San Antonio and Mexico City also Gabby Lopez of the LPGA Tour now arzu seventh hole up the hill hang on oh wow what a run he is really playing some good golf didn’t Gabby just get
Married I I think over the Christmas break yes Sam I’m locked into all this stuff I know nothing six Heron will be first to play it could be on a little bit of the down slope but he’s got a little bit of green to work with terrific bunker
Player he’s going to get this up and in isn’t he come on buddy that was pretty sporty shot very well done if that carries maybe another 6 Ines it doesn’t kick to the right but that’s it goes a little more into the hole Yeah Yeah but then another one of those six seven
Footers welcome to tough Championship golf would you like to do on on this kind of Bunker so it’s a little longer you know it depends there’s a lot of sand you play it on you can spin it I don’t know if this sand looks soft enough that I don’t think you can really
Spin it so now it’s about just barely getting it on the green and let it just the loft of the shot just let it dribble down the hill picking a spot trying to land it there and that was well done he has a really good set of hands
He’s he’s a terrific player he’s I think he’s hit the more most quality shots of any of the players we’ve seen today just one Bogey and two birdies that’s good enough to tie for the lead right now I love these slow-mo bunker shots for the explosion of sand and the ball
Comes out on the middle of it well that was really he really clipped that beautifully yeah down in and then out of it quickly that was a terrific play outstanding crew here in Panama led by sers sh Mike [Applause] Crow Libby Graham it it takes a village to put it all
Together the number of people who get us all these great shots and all do all the work to make this happen and it’s warm out there kudos to everybody 93 degrees all right big par putt here for Miguel ordonia Colt yeah he needs it to keep this round somewhat
Intact about 10 feet moving to his right oh that was weak a couple of putts that we don’t normally see him miss the sof and to the right his two misses the last couple holes Andy I’ve noticed that head tends to go back right before impact and opens
That face up well that one looked like it opened up dtic ically and col Colt your impressions of marcelo’s game all three of these guys have really nice games but marcelio he seems like he’s got it all hits it really long really high his ball just goes through the wind different than the
Other players that was some shot from the right rough here at 16 oh that’s excruciating right there and he surely reacted as if he hit it exactly where he wanted to just overr at a smidge but man that was disappointing he hit it yeah he’ll second shot in there like that he’ll
Stay it even par and and how about the Dela fent’s game we’ll get to that in just a moment but so we Marcil fits the bill of guys who’ve Come Close they knock on that door and then they break through we’ve seen it repeatedly you get the experience under this kind of pressure
He was second at teeth of the dog then Dominican Republic and then third last year in Puerto Rico by the way they’re going to regras teeth of the dog and those are two totally different golf courses that tells you an awful lot about his game great up and down by Santiago delente
He’s got game too he does so delte stays at one under par one of only three in red figures at one under all right Andy off to 17 yeah let’s go to the 17th hole playing 190 today partially because the whole location is way in the back portion of the
Green another one of these greens that has so many different levels and angles and stuff if you can get it somewhere in that back quadrant that’s fairly flat but getting there is not going to be easy it’s one of those shs that you really got to try to try to hit about
Maybe about 15 12 yards before and Scoot it up that little r scoot up that’s that’s one of my favorite pins if you land it in that back portion probably going to go over the green or you will that’s what happened to me [Laughter] today but again we’re in that portion of
The the golf course you’ve got a bunch of these apartment condos Office Buildings where the wind blows through here and it Swirls and it it’s hard to judge exactly what’s going to happen the Latin America amateur Championship is brought to you by Delta Airlines Delta keep climate PRM science applied to life and Rolex here we are at the 17th Hole Santa Maria Golf Club even though the flag stick is blowing straight down it doesn’t mean when the ball’s in the air it’s going to be that direction give you some notable alums of the Latin American amateur Championship how about Fred beandi NCAA individual
And Team champ from EUR All mamada Andy University of Florida nicoo etaria one the PGA Tours Puerto Rico open last March played in the laac we know walki Neiman he just won the Australian Open Mito Pereira was closed to the 20122 PGA Alejandro toasty won on the corn
Ferry tour in August he joined R Pera as a rookie on the PGA tour this year so all those guys with invaluable experience through the years at the Latin America amateur Championship I think the last two are playing today in the desert yeah this just pick a spot you’re
Trying to land on the green and then just trust it you just cannot carry it all the way back there that will test him not much green to work with have to rely on that short game again now the sente marcilio and Rich this course has to
Give the everyday hacker all kinds of fits this entire second nine the water is on the right side they donate a lot of golf balls out here at Santa Maria well it’s given these best players in the region fits too today but this 190 you mentioned it
Probably trying to land this around 180 which is playing around 170 no more than an eight iron from [Laughter] marcilio another bad Miss to the right what do you think’s going on Omar about about the this guy here missing it right there little wind you got the win a little bit maybe
Helping a little bit of the Spain but that pass palum rough and then you’re you’re bouncing down the grain down slope everything is going away from you in there like you’re saying you can’t feel the wind you think it’s straight behind you but it’s coming more left right not
In there it really feels because of the building it feels as going down but it is not going down and you see the big flags in the in the back everything is pushing right see if if you’re if your buddy can figure this one out come on get it in here a little
Bit lower than the other two players I think he likes it come on oh my God can’t believe it hit that Softly you Andy as you played college golf at Florida what did you lean on playing in the wind what were some of the tricks
Well I had to learn how to play in the wind I I had no idea I used to launch the ball 800 miles high uh which is a nice thing to be able to do but once I got down there I had to learn how to
Control the spin on the ball uh hit it easier make it go lower uh and then you kind of fall in love with playing that way and it’s fun fun playing in conditions like this day because there’s really a challenge right let’s go to the 18th hole and Jose
Eastl saona is there H those knock down shots Randy elevated position here for eastl very solid player as you said Rich wind SW around though tough to judge from this elevated point on the golf course it’s a little bit short but that’s not a bad spot there at least he
He kind of bump it up the hill holes cut there there fairly closely he’s told me that if he has a good week on the greens he knows he will contend and he’s he’s a good-looking player yeah he really is Mexico’s got a handful of guys that all look like they could
Win okay couple years ago um some of the guys you know coming into the event they used to say things like okay so it’s 188 108 players but no perhaps 30 can win that’s something that people used to say sitting here on 2024 and you seen the
You seen the guys play it’s not like 30 can win it’s a lot of it’s a lot of him yeah good week by many of these players many ofers y yeah give you a look one more time uh some of the notable alums of the Latin America amateur championship did not
Mention Sebastian Munoz he was a Pan-American game silver medalist recently that was won by Abraham aner I know Stuart hagestad also played u in those Pan-American games and Alejandro tosty you you said he was so close to winning the very first one lost it late now eastl at 18 he
Could have went won the first four yeah pretty straightforward little pitch that was well done nice way to get the day finished back at 17 he’s going to have to put some air under this one it is landing on a very severe down slope I’m not sure he can get this one
Inside of 10 ft he’s at least a little bit on the UPS slope which should [Applause] help oh my that was well done that’s as good as you can do from there Andy and it’s still 8 ft by the hole that that hit so softly and had quite a bit of spin on
It just can’t miss it down there Aaron Jarvis this is for part 18 his best day it’s seven over yeah it’s been a real battle out here today the head went down a few holes ago for Jarvis and it’s a tough day for everyone finished up with five Bogies in his last six
Holes Del Fuente at 17 very similar type of shot has to throw it way up in the air oh that took a peak yeah boy two beautifully played shots and they’re still gring to make par you you could see it there on that shot Andy just how
Nice and soft his hands are yeah he’s he’s got a lot of a lot of ability and a lot of shots still six feet yeah you put that one back in the bag and bring your brush you got some work to do but he’s got Game Boy
He’s got to share the lead as well at one under par look down from above mardonius has to put up a pretty good slope and it’s into the grain so it’s going to be very very slow early and then once it gets over the ridge it picks up
Speed this is almost as difficult as those chip shots those guys just had has to throw way out there to the right get it to just die over the hill get up I don’t think he’s lost his turn you know with with his with his history and his ability around the
Greens some of these putts are a little bit confusing it’s just so difficult out there right now now eastl for the par at 18 to get in at three over a grind a very good grind for eastl today and he’s being watched on in this final Hole by Raphael
Aracon famously coached Lorena Ooa throughout her career wearing his Mexican hat watching proudly was not easy this afternoon three over in the front even on the back that’s that’s a good score coming in 73 is a good good position Jose heas set of the Latin America amateur Championship very simply
It is the golden star on the calendar everybody in this field feels that way and now vente marcelio uh sizing up his pupet he’ll wait as donz has this for par and rich just to Echo that I got a text from julan Paro who’s been a staple at this Championship said he’s missing
It this year it’s the best tournament in the world but we wish him best of luck in his pro career another one of those coming out of uh Arkansas and now professional’s he’s made a few mistakes we don’t normally see you know you’re you’re playing in front of your Home Folks you’re trying
Too hard it’s it’s tough out there everybody wants you to do well and sometimes it just doesn’t happen right uh hanging in there this is arzu this for the lead I mean you always when you’re playing at home you always want to make it happen but and you know Mel and I we
Talked about it and the K and the guys as well you know Hey listen let’s just go out there let’s just enjoy it it’s going to be a tough week yeah conditions are going to be hard emotions are going to be right there but at the end of the
Day just you got to let it happen you can’t you got to let it happen trying too hard is not good either two Bogies in the last three holes for marcelio he’s now over par couple of loose iron shots that wedge on the 15th hole really hurt
Him and just not being able to judge the breeze coming out of the left DEA fente well he’s made bogey as well and then there were two just two at one under par one already in the house that’s Omar Morales 69 and Jose arzu of Guatemala has one hold to play what a
Comeback by arzu made three bogeys toward the end of his in a row at the end of his back nine before he went over to the front and he’s been under par on the front that’s some great playing today he’s got the tough ninth to finish this 18th hole is all you want
Terri to finish up Championship playing 444 today they moved the te up just a little bit you’d like it take it down the right edge of this Fairway this Fairway slopes dramatically from right to left if you can hit in that 280 290 range get
In 160 or so yards into this green whole location today right in the front probably the easiest whole location we’ll see on this green you can land it short of the green you can get it up and in from four five yards short you land
It just barely on the green you have a great birdie opportunity do not want to go past the hole your yardage coming in there is probably the front edge of the green yardage cool look back now this is what the player looks like looks at some trees on the right and that
Slope you can see that’s your aiming point just inside of that you really got to control the B like Andy because you know here the wind really pushes it into the right and you’re trying to protect that left are as well look at that yep hit it right on
The line we wanted the it start to curve right which he’s shocked coming out of that rough tough to get into that front right hole location camera guy didn’t even Flinch that’s why they only bring the best really a 16 17 and 18 great finishing stretch you could be on Sunday
Afternoon you could be three or four shots behind play those last last three holes one under par beholding the the trophy probably at the right edge of the the right building would be a nice line that’s that’s where you want it obviously left is not
Good I like that kept it a little bit lower MH didn’t let the wind take it beautiful t- shot that’s down there he’s put on a driving clinic this second n just missed the one Fairway back at 16 yeah Colt I love the fact that he just looks very
Natural just turns it back and lets it go it’s like there’s nothing holding it back yeah he just needs to dial in those irons and he’ll be a factor this weekend it’s a nice start hitting at about 320 down every Fairway makes it is here definitely no
Kidding all right he needs a bird to TI you I hope he makes it okay another low bullet that’s great he ripped it another good driver of the golf ball and Miguel oron trying to finish strong here round one in his home country of Panama it is the opening
Round of the ninth playing of the Latin America amateur championship I think the winner comes out of this group yeah I think these two dudes I agree so we’re not going to finish these guys yeah for we are just about out of our aled time here in Panama Omar this was great thank you so much tomorrow we get a chance to
Watch you and you’re right in it thank you Rick and thank you Andy um it wasn’t only a pleasure it was an honor um always pretty fun to be here with you guys and see the guys playing and see you know see what I’m going to face
Tomorrow so uh believe me I was paying attention I was paying attention but I appreciate you guys and uh hopefully tomorrow I can put up a good show for you really generous uh hospitable we love your country and we’re looking forward to the next three days Omar
Taha um Omar Morales will see plenty of uh the young Mexican stand out tomorrow he’s tied with Jose arzu on a difficult day just two players right now in red figures Andy yeah Golf Course won today very very difficult conditions some great whole locations uh if you can just
Stay around par all week long you get to the back nine anything can happen on Sunday so patience patience and some more patience all right great thanks once again to sellers shy Mike Crow leading all of the hardworking women and men in the truck and on the ground for
Andy North and Colt no Iona Steven and John Sutliff I’m rich learner saying so long for now from Panama and round one of the Latin America amateur champion chip we’ll see you on Friday Afternoon
