Take a look into the journey of 2024 Latin America Amateur champion, Santiago de la Fuente, as he prepares for an opportunity unlike any other.
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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.
welcome all of you to the 2024 Latin America amateur Championship we are thrilled to be back here in Panama for this championship in January one of the world’s great Crossroads Panama City Panama hosted the Region’s most important amateur event 108 players from 28 Latin American countries and territories competed for a spot in the Open Championship the US Open and the Masters every amateur in in Latin America the one that they had marked in the calendar is this one it’s everything for them it’s a life changer this a biggest event I’ve played in my life oh what a shot wi out here and you get the chance to complete your dream in only one tournament perfect you can change your life this week invitation to the Masters on the line here in Panama to represent your country in three major championships is something you dream of all the pressure of the world on him if you don’t feel nerves on the first te then something’s wrong with you beautiful shot delente he is meeting the [Applause] moment the 2024 Latin America amateur championship marked the second time Panama City has hosted the event rather than Golf Links Panama a Central American nation of 4.4 million people is best known for its famous canal however the country also boasts many beautiful beaches and rainforests plus a surprisingly long history with golf golf in Panama goes way back I think we owe it a little bit to the uh Panama Canal Zone The Americans that were here they seem to like golf together with panamanians they set up what was the first Panama Golf Club at what they called Las savanas you know we’ve had golf here in Panama for for for many years this year Panama provided the backdrop to a regional golf tournament that offered a lifechanging prize passage to three major tournaments the Latin America amateur Championship it became the most important tournament in our region this is the place to get opportunities to make make it to Las Grand lias to the big leagues this tournament it just means so much you know and it can open so many doors for you one more there’s not many tournaments that earn you spot in the Masters pretty much everything I do right now as an Amer is focus on this event this tournament is helping to make the game of golf uh grow in our region [Music] when as notes ladies and gentlemen tonight is an opportunity for all of us to join together and celebrate the impact of golf in Latin America the Latin America amateur Championship was really set up to try and give a springboard for the top men’s amateurs in the Latin America region to compete with each other and improve and develop the standard and hopefully get to the stage where they could become tour players when they come professional just think of that someone in this room tonight will compete this year in three of golf’s major championships it’s a joy to watch the Next Generation develop and learn and uh you know we will get a major Champion coming out of the lack in the not too distant future I’m absolutely certain of it [Music] we appreciate the lack coming to Panama and giving Panamanian players the opportunity to play in the event because it’s it’s great for them that opportunity extended to players not just from Panama but 28 different countries around Latin America like Mexico a country not known as a golf Powerhouse golf in Mexico we’ve seen the game growing we have players in the LPGA Tour we have players in the PGA Tour we have approximately around 150 uh between boys and girls in col College in the US as of today and I do think a lot has to do with this tournament that growth is reflected by the top two ranked players in the field Mexico’s Omar Morales and Santiago DEA fente Omar Morales comes in at 6′ 3 in tall very athletic launches it hits it forever he already had the experience to play in Los Angeles Country Club in the US Open so he’s used to the big stage uh there’s a reason why he’s a top ranked player for our region Santiago he’s got more old school game I’d call it his touch and different kinds of shots he plays on the green it been absolutely fantastic he’s rocketed up more than a thousand spots in the world Amer golf rankings now he’s the second highest rated player in this field behind only Omar Morales but every player no matter ranking or country knew the opportunity and significance presented by this moment for a small country like Guatemala it’s so important that they give a chance to play in a major in Chile there’s a lot of kids right now that they’ve been dreaming about this tournament and winning everybody that’s playing this event wants their name to be on the trophy for me most importantly I think I’m representing the junior golfers in Panama this is my ninth lack and I’ve seen this Championship evolve so that’s very special to me I think it’s a great tournament you know Latin America Falls the champion of this tournament these kids are given an opportunity of lifetime you know to get exposed to the world this event is being televised I believe live in 142 countries live all of the people watching the event don’t really understand the magnitude of the opportunity that the winner is giving I think it’s [Music] unbelievable an invitation to the Masters Latin America amateur Championship on CBS Sports is sponsored by chewy shop online today and get great prices on pet Essentials and bu Liberty Mutual insurance only pay for what you need tremendous excitement always day number one of the Latin America amateur Championship from [Music] Panama for 108 players in Panama austa was the dream but reality soon took hold as the cream quickly Rose to the top beautiful t-shot he thinks he can make it from down there Morales Right In Contention go ahead Santiago and do that the end of the first round saw a three-way tie at top the leaderboard as expected Mexico’s Omar Morales and Santiago DEA fente plus a surprising name Guatemala’s Jose arzo Guatemalan momentum continued two players in the top five was just the beginning guala having a day all five Guatemalans in the field would make the cut an astonishing feat for a country with no golf pedigree and where the game rarely makes headlines at home in Guatemala the biggest port for sure is going to be soccer but I think we’re better players in golf than soccer but it it isn’t that popular it is growing we have a lot of young kids that play actually very good golf it’s the first time that we came to a lack and all the players made the cut so it’s history for us so I think this is going to change the golf at Guatemala they are going to start to believe [Music] as round three unfolded a two-horse race emerged between the favorites Omar Morales and Santiago de lafuente then came an Omar scoring barrage what a nice start birdie bird you get out of the gate Morales playing beautifully and now an eagle putt for Morales as looks pretty good go ahead ohar Morales he’s just pouring it on every golf shot counts but some can change rounds especially on the final hole oh no oh my that finds the water that is shocking now the game has changed Colt so this is going to be a r hitting his third this just got [Music] interesting that’s the line that he needed to hit and he’s not happy it seemed like we were going to have a coronation and all of a sudden it’s game on and and we got a tournament tomorrow Omar Morales had a sixshot lead standing on the 17th T and then in one swing it feels a whole lot different Omar is a great friend of me we’ve known each other since we’re 9 years old so I’m happy to have a match with him it’s it’s a pleasure to be honest being three back with 18 holes to go it’s a great position and I’m just going to go out and do my own thing as I’ve been doing the whole week ladies and Gentlemen please welcome from Mexico Omar Morales as the final round teed off Omar Morales held a three-stroke lead and from Mexico Santiago de la pente a slim margin against a resilient opponent and one that was about to get even Slimmer go ahead Santi do that just pours it in delente birdie there at the par five second unfortunately Morales making a bogey so two- shot swing on the very second hole it’s down to one with the lead narrowed and momentum seemingly changing with each hole every Drive every Putt and every moment began to matter more for birdie at number eight comes right back when he needed it back and forth they go after almost 4 days and 70 holes of golf the Latin America amateur Championship was about to come down to the last two holes of the weekend what a finish we have on our hands right here [Music] guys he’s posing oh my goodness what a shot now Dela fente for the lead he is meeting the moment on the 18th green trailing for the first time all day Omar Morales faced long odds and an even longer putt to stay alive can you make possibly the most important putt you’ve ever had must make Omar [Music] Morales it have enough left short perfect line all I had to do is hit it Omar’s tput left the door wide open for the stoic Santiago to win the title and a place at the [Music] Masters Del frte has won the 2024 Latin America amateur Championship he calm and cool for 18 holes and now he has earned the right to let it all out [Applause] [Applause] hey let’s go 15 jumping jacks all together ready go 1 2 3 4 I played two years at orans Tech everything was good there but I felt like I needed more go so that’s why I wanted to move to division one and play better tournaments and that’s how I got to Houston yeah there you go when I left organs Tech that was ranked around a th000 in the world right now I’m top 50 so I feel like having better competition has held my game and obviously coach s has been part of it Santiago had a lot of the P puzz put together uh when he showed up there’s no doubt about it two on three 1 two three being here’s allowed him to compete against the best players uh in the world a little more often and um you know he’s he’s showing the fact that he’s he’s one of those [Music] guys coach dism has help me a lot especially in short game I feel like he’s a good short game coach but I feel like when I go more like that b launches harder the higher the launch the lower the spin that ball is going to go further forward he’s helped me to improve my game in all aspects and I know that if something’s not going right I can always ask him like hey what do you think about the swing or quick fixes that help me go a long way into the wind I would probably go at least 56 [Music] that’s really good there being a full-time student athlete it’s hard physically it’s hard mentally and then if you combine it with school you have no time for yourself my professors have been very helpful with me CU they understand I have to get ready for the Masters you got that midterm you need to try and do when is this open so this is only open on March 4th yeah I have tournament I mean I’m going to send out your travel letters today I’ll do it at the tournament but you are going to miss it or if you think you can’t get it done then I’ll I’ll you make sure you put that in your phone for me please everything that I’ve done since I started playing golf is to get to this point I’m not giving up not worrying about what if just doing what I have to do let me know if you need anything though okay uh another another assistant Santiago’s golf Journey began in a place where it’s impossible to play 18 his hometown of okutan halisco Mexico a small industrial city of just over 100,000 people 1 hour’s drive from guadal laara it’s best known for music architecture and its furniture industry absent from that list is golf [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] well I got introduced to the game of golf uh with my dad and my brother there’s a small Golf Course where we’re from that’s next to the lake and there were like five holes I grabb my brother’s clubs and I start swinging and somebody told my dad like hey he’s got a good swing well I don’t know if that’s true to be honest my dad was my coach till I was 16 and he is not very good at golf I don’t know how he did it [Music] that teaching is paid off because Santiago now stands poised to play against the best golfers in the world at one of the game’s most storied venues I got my invitation a couple weeks ago then I went home and I took it with me so my family could see it and they were very happy for me is [Music] Inc no it hasn’t sunken yet like I I don’t even think or realize that I’m going to play the Masters but I think it’s going to hit me on the first te when you’re hitting your first shot in the Masters and I’m going to be in shock for a couple minutes maybe a couple holes but we’ll see how it goes there an invitation to the Masters Latin America amateur Championship on CBS Sports is sponsored by Liberty Mutual insurance only pay for what you need and buy fresh pet it’s not dog food it’s food food good afternoon ladies and Gentlemen please join me and welcoming two firsttime competitors at the Masters Santiago there is a sense of anticipation when you’re close to a win at the lack and then there is an anticipation when you’re about to come to austa so can you describe any difference in those two feelings I think that all the players that are in the lag feel the same nerves I did but coming to this week I’m here to just play golf and be in the present so I think I feel better right now than what I did at the L [Music] [Music] [Music] I will say that my favorite moment so far has been being able to play with these guys everyone gave me a few [Music] tips it’s just about learning and experience it’s nice to see new guys new kids coming out and playing and the group that he was playing with today was quite easy to be around and that’s the way we try to make him make him feel [Applause] I feel like I’ve belong I mean engulf I’m not that far away from them and they about won a couple times on tour practice rounds allow veteran players to offer knowledge and Sage advice to the amateur newcomers that is the spirit of the Masters and nothing exemplifies it quite like the amateur dinner it is a long-standing tradition that this dinner that one of our former amateur participants shares his memories of competing at Augusta National this year’s guest is 1979 US amateur Champion marera it was 44 years ago that I came here and I remember how nervous I was I said you know I don’t know if I’m ever going to make it as a professional golfer or not but I know one thing certain no matter what happens in my life I got to play in the Masters one time and then 18 years later I was in that final group on the 18th scen and there I was Mark talked about the first time he played here as an amater and how nervous he was it was one of those that was an inspiration for me when I hit my putt I was more in shock and disbelief as to what the hell just happened and I realized I I won the Masters you know you just never know in this great game I just wish all you players the best of luck and no matter what happens just take it all in and have a great [Applause] time taking it all in was a must for Santiago but the most important part being ready for the biggest moment of his life it’s going to hit me on the first te when I see the people there and I realize it’s the Masters Sago de now driving [Music]
