Mateo Fuenmayor grabs first round lead at Latin America Amateur Championship

Mateo Fuenmayor, a native of Colombia who plays collegiately at Oregon State, shot a 6-under 66 on Thursday to grab the first-round lead of the Latin America Amateur Championship being held at the Grand Reserve Golf Club in Puerto Rico.

Fuenmayor, who tied for seventh last week in the South American Amateur in Ecuador, went out in 33 and four more birdies on his inward nine offset his only bogey of the day for an opening round of 66.

At 6-under, he holds a one-stroke lead over four players, including Santiago de la Fuente and Luis Carrera of Mexico, Vicente Marzilio of Argentina and Martín Cancino of Chile.

Sixteen other players are within four shots of the lead, including pre-tournament favorite Fred Biondi of Brazil, who opened with a solid 2-under round of 70.

Marzilio, de la Fuente and Biondi, along with Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira of Argentina, tied for second last year in the Latin American Amateur.

Defending champion Aaron Jarvis of the Cayman Islands and UNLV, who is looking to become the first player to successfully defend the LAAC title, opened with an even par round of 72.

The champion receives an invitation to compete in the 2023 Masters Tournament and an exemption into The 151st Open at Royal Birkdale. The winner also receives full exemptions into The Amateur Championship, U.S. Amateur Championship and any other USGA amateur championship for which he is eligible and is exempt into the final stage of qualifying for the 2023 U.S. Open Championship.

The runner(s)-up will be exempt into Final Qualifying for The 151st Open and the 2023 U.S. Open Championship.

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ESPN Broadcast Schedule

First Round • Thursday, Jan. 12
9 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET

Second Round • Friday, Jan. 13
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Third Round • Saturday, Jan. 14
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET

Final Round • Sunday, Jan. 15
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET