Latin American Am champ Santiago De la Fuente enjoys first PGA Tour start
February 23, 2024 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com
see also: Santiago De La Fuente
The Houston Senior flirted with the leaders through 36-holes and got a good warm-up for The Masters
After winning the 2024 Latin America Amateur Championship, Santiago De la Fuente received a sponsor exemption into the Mexico Open at Vidanta Vallarta Golf Course, and he has made the most of the opportunity.
De la Fuente made the cut and was T9 heading into the weekend after rounds of 67-69 to get to 6-under.
The Houston Senior shot a first-round 4-under 67 and a second-round 2-under 69, recording a total of ten birdies and four bogeys.
Although he dropped well back over the weekend, De La Fuente is ready for more collegiate golf and a little tournament known as The Masters. De La Fuente shot rounds of 72-70 to fall to T46 in the tournament.
De la Fuente is currently ranked No. 57 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings.
In 2023, De la Fuente won the Border Olympics and the American Invitational. So far, in 2024, he won the Latin America Amateur Championship and finished in solo fifth place at the Southwestern Invitational.
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Latin America Amateur: Santiago De la Fuente wins in dramatic fashion
“I’ll try to enjoy it as much as I can,” De la Fuente told the PGA Tour earlier this week about his start.
De La Fuente has had a great collegiate career thus far, making the Arnold Palmer Cup Team International, the 2022-23 PING All-America Honorable Mention, and the 2020-21 PING All-America Honorable Mention.
He was also the 2022-23 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, was named on the 2022-23 PING All-Central Region, and the 2022-23 All-American Athletic Conference Team.
With his victory at the Latin America Amateur, de la Fuente has earned a spot in the 2024 Masters at Augusta National and the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon. He also earned invitations to the U.S. Amateur and is exempt into final qualifying for the 2024 U.S. Open.
Omar Morales of UCLA also put up a solid showing in his sponsor exemption, finishing 1-under and missing the cut by just one shot.
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