The last round of the Latin America Amateur Championship became a head-to-head between two Mexicans for the title, on a day in which Mateo Fuenmayor had to fight with everything to stay on the podium and seal Colombia's best performance in the history of the tournament: he finished in third place.
In the end, Santiago de la Fuente, number 89 in the world amateur ranking (WAGR) took the title thanks to an extraordinary round, 64 strokes, six under par, to equal the course record of the Santa María Golf Club in Panama City.
The fight for the title, in addition, brought two Mexican currents face to face: one, that of the official team of the Federation, headed by Omar Morales, and another, that of ARA (Alto Rendimiento Azteca), a program created at the end of the last year to promote golf and seek the arrival of more players to the professional circuits.
“This is a project that comes to support Latin American golf. We initially have nine players, from Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Paraguay. “We want to provide the greatest number of Latin American players who aspire to go to university to improve their golf, so that they have more tools to win on the PGA Tour and one day win a Major,” Santiago Casado, co-executive director of ARA, explained to EL TIEMPO.
The ARA “finalist” was De la Fuente, one of the golfers who are part of the program, among whom is also the Colombian María José Marín. They were both even wearing different t-shirts, red in the case of Morales and pale green in that of De la Fuente.
Morales had started the last day with three goals ahead of De la Fuente and four ahead of Fuenmayor. But the loads were balanced along the way: in the first nine holes, the leader's advantage was only one stroke, and in the 11th, the lead was already equal after a birdie by De la Fuente. De la Fuente's comeback was sealed with two birdies on the last two holes. Morales had the option of a birdie on 18 to tie the lead again, but he missed his shot. The champion finished with 270 strokes (-10), two less than Morales.
De la Fuente took revenge after finishing second in 2022, behind Aaron Jarvis. “I don't think it's something important, in fact I don't recommend it to people, because it is very painful. It definitely helped me get to know myself more in golf and as a person. “It helped me improve in many aspects and make my life more professional,” said the new champion.
Mateo Fuenmayor, on the LAAC podium
Fuenmayor, for its part, struggled to stay on par with the field. He had to solve several problems along the way, like on the 9th, when he missed the green and there, a photographer stepped on the ball and moved it. Or in the 11th, when he left the ball in a very difficult place on his tee shot and it almost went into the water, but he managed to make a great approach and score a birdie.
The one born in Portland (United States), but of Colombian parents, made the par of the field in the last round, 70 strokes, and 277 in his accumulated (-3).
“I'm very happy with the result, obviously I didn't win, but I'm leaving calm. In the 11th I was very happy that the ball ended up where it landed, then I made a perfect shot and left it for birdie,” Fuenmayor told EL TIEMPO.
Two Colombians finished in the Top 5 of the tournament. In addition to Fuenmayor, Carlos Ardila delivered his best card of the week, 69 hits (-1), to finish in fifth place, with 283 hits (+3).
“I went out with the mind of finishing in the Top 5. I fought, I started very well, I was two down on the 7th hole, there the ball ended up in a divot and I managed to save a good bogey, I continued with my goal and they achieved things,” Ardila explained.
Although Colombia still hasn't won the LAAC, it was a good week for Fuenmayor, who two years ago was an unknown player in the media, and for Ardila, whose return to amateur golf has made him gain a lot of confidence. For now, the next event will be in 2025 in Buenos Aires, on the tenth anniversary of the tournament.
Jose Orlando Ascencio
Sports Deputy Editor
@josasc
City of Panama
*Invited by the LAAC
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