After presenting a card of 66 strokes (-6) in the second round of the Latin America Amateur Championship, Julian Perico is the only leader of the championship that takes place in Teeth of the Dog, Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic. AND
The Peruvian has a total of 135 shots (-9) and is three ahead of the Argentine Segundo Oliva Pinto, who was one of the leaders at the end of the first 18 holes. In addition, Perico achieved the lowest score in the history of the LAAC for the initial 36 holes.
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Perico left early and took advantage of the better weather conditions, although his first nine holes were not dazzling: only a birdie in that section (he lowered the par 5 from 2).
The explanation
However, something in his game changed from the par 4 of the 11th. “Obviously I got busy, I started hitting better shots, leaving putts with lines that I liked. Together with Abel (Gallegos, with whom he shared a threesome) we got excited, it is very pleasant to play with him, a very warm, humble person, we had a great time playing together, also with Benjamín (Saiz-Wenz). I think this reflects a little what the spirit of amateur golf means”, explained the player from Arkansas University, who is in his “Senior” year and was one of those responsible for the incorporation of Argentines Mateo Fernández de Oliveira, Second Oliva Pinto and Manuel Lozada to the “Razorbacks”.
“I think the key to recovery is that I stayed patient, I always tried to play from the fairway and when I had the opportunity I was able to attack. There are some tricky flag positions, but when I had the right distance I went all out. I made a couple of good birdie putts from 11 to 13 and another good par on 14. I was aware of my position in the tournament the whole time, but I kept my cool. I really enjoyed the return”, added a relaxed Périco, who comes from a great year of college golf and arrived in Casa de Campo in 108th place in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. “Several times I was close in this championship, there is still a long way to go, but it would be a dream to win and play the Masters and The Open”, closed the Peruvian. And it is true, he debuted in 2017 (Panama) with a 4th place (he led after the first round with 64 strokes), he was 13th (Chile 2018), 25th (Casa de Campo 2019) and 6th (Mayakoba 2020).
The defender of the title joined, as Perico said, the clean and jerk of the pointer and, in the second nine, he went down the same holes as the Peruvian: 11, 12, 13 and 18. Two other hits added to three bogeys, gave him a balance positive to Abel Gallegos, who with 139 hits (-5) was in a good position for the weekend.
The Argentine champion in Mayakoba, Mexico, can put his experience to ease the pressure and become the first player to win the Latin America Amateur Championship twice.
Although he did not have a good start, Oliva Pinto has the enormous merit of having changed a story that could have left him out of the championship. Three bogeys in the first four holes and no birdies in the two par 5s of the first leg, quickly dropped him from the lead.
However, the player from Villa Allende, Córdoba, added a good run between 11 and 15 with four birdies and, although he went up on 16, he closed a worked 72 (par) that left him as the only shooting guard.
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