The Argentine Second Olive Pinto and the Puerto Rican Roberto Nieves are the leaders of the Latin America Amateur Championship after the first round of the championship that takes place in Casa de Campo, La Romana, Dominican Republic.
With 66 hits (-6) the leaders are two ahead of Vicente Marzilio (Argentina), Martín León (Chile) and Andrey Borges (Brazil).
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Oliva Pinto played perfect golf from tee to green and, without mistakes, rounded off an unforgettable performance in a championship start in which Teeth of the Dog allowed good scores due to the absence of strong winds from the Caribbean Sea, perhaps its greatest defense. The player from Villa Allende, Córdoba, is coming off a great week in the South American Amateur, in which he finished second behind his friend Mateo Fernández de Oliveira.
“It is always a good help when you go out with teammates who also have a good day (he played with Andrey Borges and Paul Chaplet). It took me a bit at the beginning of the week to get used to playing at sea level again after a week at the height of Quito. But Manuel Relancio, the Head Pro of Casa de Campo, helped me with his technology to regulate distances again and that was key”, said the player from Villa Allende, Córdoba, who belongs to Arkansas University along with his compatriots Fernández de Oliveira and Manuel Lozada.
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snows, firm
Like Oliva Pinto, Nieves came out to play the first day of the LAAC on the tee of the 10th hole and with two birdies in the first leg she began to gain confidence in her game. From there, he stringed together 5 birdies in 6 holes to climb to the top. Beyond the bogey on the par 4 of the 8, the Puerto Rican closed with par on the 9 for a round that is not surprising.
The Delaware University player is going through a good moment in his career, to the point that he has just won one of the pre-qualifications for the Puerto Rico Open 2022 on the PGA TOUR. It will be Nieves’ second experience in this event of the world’s top golf tour.
“I went out to play very excited after the news that the next LAAC will be played in my country and on a court that I know very well and like,” said Nieves, who will play the Puerto Rico Open in March with a broad smile. venue that will host the LAAC 2023: the Grand Reserve Golf Club.
“I think I hit some really good shots today, got the ball in the right place and thought shot by shot. This is my first LAAC and it is much better than I imagined. It is an incredible feeling to be one of the leaders of the championship,” added the Puerto Rican, who had a great season at Delaware University and is ranked 435th in the WAGR.
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The best player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in the field of the LAAC 2022, Mateo Fernández de Oliveira, began his round early, who with his victory last Saturday in the Sudamericano Amateur de Quito rose to 38th place in that list. The Argentine signed a card without errors of 69 shots (-3) and increased his figure of favorite even with a lot of golf ahead.
Defending champion Abel Gallegos is off to a good start in his quest to repeat what he did in Mayakoba, Mexico, two years ago. Although he missed good birdie chances, in the last 9 (he started at 10) he settled his game above the green to finish the first round with 70 strokes (-2). In this way, there are three Argentines in the top ten.
Among the local players, the best was the experienced Rhadames Peña, who with 70 shots (-2) had a great start that allows the Dominicans to dream of having one of their six players in the dispute for the title.
It was a historic Thursday for the Latin America Amateur Championship, which earlier announced its eighth edition, which will take place from January 12 to 15, 2023 at the Grand Reserve Golf Club in Puerto Rico. Here at Teeth of the Dog, 102 players dream of lifting the trophy on Sunday and contesting the Masters Tournament and The 150 Open in St. Andrews.
The benefits granted by the LAAC in each edition are unmatched: the champion receives an invitation to compete in the Masters Tournament and The Open Championship. In addition, the winner and the player(s) who finish in second place go straight into the final stages of qualifying, with a chance to make it to The Open and the US Open. On the other hand, the champion receives complete waivers to contest The Amateur, the US Amateur Championship and any other USGA amateur championship for which he is eligible.
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