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FINAL WRAP: Latin America Amateur Championship
January 15, 2026 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

see also: Mateo Pulcini, Latin America Amateur Championship, Lima Golf Club

Mateo Pulcini (LAAC photo)
Mateo Pulcini (LAAC photo)

One missed approach decided a playoff and rewrote the LAAC record book

Pulcini wins LAAC in playoff to secure major starts

Argentina’s Mateo Pulcini won the 2026 Latin America Amateur Championship with a playoff victory over Venezuela’s Virgilio Paz Valdes at Lima Golf Club, securing one of amateur golf’s most prized pathways.

Pulcini sealed the title on the second playoff hole, the par-4 18th, after Paz Valdes pushed his approach long into the trees. The Venezuelan chipped back onto the green but missed his par putt from 25 feet, leaving Pulcini to close it out with a routine two-putt.

The 25-year-old finished at 5-under 275 after a closing 68, tying Paz Valdes at the end of regulation. The win earns Pulcini starts at the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, and The Open at Royal Birkdale.

Pulcini becomes the oldest champion in the event’s 11-year history and the third Argentine winner, following Abel Gallegos (2020) and Mateo Fernández de Oliveira (2023). He had posted top-10 finishes in his two previous LAAC appearances before breaking through this week.

 

Paz Valdes, bidding to become the first Venezuelan winner, matched Pulcini with a final-round 68 but fell short in the playoff. As runner-up, he earns exemptions into Final Qualifying for The Open and U.S. Open, plus starts in the U.S. Amateur and The Amateur Championship.
Overnight leader Segundo Oliva Pinto slipped back with a 73, while early leader Andy Schonbaum closed with 74. Brazil’s Herik Machado posted the low round of the day with a 65.

Pos.MovePlayerTo ParR1R2R3R4TotalDetails
☆13
🇦🇷
Mateo Pulcini
Argentina
-569687068275Won on 2nd playoff hole
☆23
🇻🇪
Virgilio Paz Valdes
Venezuela
-570736468275 
☆T35
🇨🇴
Tomas Restrepo
Colombia
-370687069277 
☆T31
🇵🇾
Erich Fortlage
Paraguay
-371667070277 
☆54
🇦🇷
Segundo Oliva Pinto
Argentina
-272696473278 
Swipe horizontally on mobile to view all columns.

 

 

Full leaderboard

Round 3 summary -

Segundo Oliva Pinto surged into the lead after the third round of the Latin America Amateur Championship, firing a 6-under 64 to take a one-shot advantage into the final day at Lima Golf Club.

The Argentine moved to 5-under for the week, jumping ahead of Brazil’s Eduardo Matarazzo and fellow Argentine Andy Schonbaum as Saturday reshaped the leaderboard.

Oliva Pinto began the day outside the lead but made his move early, birdieing 2, 5, 7 and 8 before a lone bogey at the ninth. He steadied on the back nine with three straight birdies at 12, 13 and 14, then saved par at the closing two holes — the toughest stretch on the course — to preserve his momentum.

Schonbaum, the 36-hole leader, held the advantage through the turn before a double bogey at 11 slowed him. He briefly recovered with birdies at 13 and 14, but another double at 18 dropped him back into a share of second at 4-under.

Matarazzo continued his climb with a second consecutive 66, rebounding strongly from an opening 74 to stay firmly in contention.

With major championship starts on the line and just one shot separating the top three, the final round was set up for a tense finish in Lima.

 

 

Pos.PlayerTo ParThruTodayR1R2R3R4Total
☆1
🇦🇷
Segundo Oliva Pinto
Argentina
-58:59 AM-726964 205
☆T2
🇧🇷
Eduardo Matarazzo
Brazil
-48:59 AM-746666 206
☆T2
🇦🇷
Andy Schonbaum
Argentina
-48:59 AM-666872 206
Swipe horizontally on mobile to view all columns.


 

Round 2 summary -


Andy Schonbaum stretched his advantage after round two of the Latin America Amateur Championship, following his opening 66 with a steady 2-under 68 to reach 6-under 134 and take a two-shot lead into the weekend at Lima Golf Club.

Scoring tightened as the wind picked up and pins were tucked — only eight players stayed under par through 36 holes. Schonbaum kept the round clean, relied on ball-striking, and avoided the big number that quickly took others out of red figures.

Andres Martinez Benedetti, the 16-year-old Venezuelan who shared the first-round lead, signed for 70 and sat second at 4-under, setting up a last-group pairing with Schonbaum.

Erich Fortlage (66) and Argentina’s Mateo Pulcini (68) were tied third at 3-under, three shots back, while Peru’s home hope Patrick Sparks steadied himself with a 69 to sit five off the lead.

The cut fell at 148 (+8), leaving 56 players for the weekend and the final 36-hole chase for the championship’s major-start rewards.

 

 

Round 1 summary -

Andy Schonbaum of Argentina and 16-year-old Venezuelan Andres Martinez Benedetti shared the first-round lead at the Latin America Amateur Championship after matching 4-under 66s at Lima Golf Club in Peru.

Schonbaum, making his 10th LAAC start, set the early clubhouse target with a round built on a fast start and a strong finish, while Martinez Benedetti matched him with five birdies against one bogey to continue his standout junior run.

Mexico’s Carlos Trevino Derbez was still on the course at 3-under through 15, and Guatemala’s Gabriel Palacios stayed in touch with a 2-under 68.

About the Latin America Amateur

Founded 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 LAAC is a 72-hole stroke play event open to a field of 108 amateur play...

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