Mateo Pulcini of Argentina came through a playoff against Venezuela’s Virgilio Paz Valdes to win the 11th instalment of the Latin America Amateur Championship at Lima Golf Club in Peru.
With the win, the 25-year-old has earned an invitation to compete in the 2026 Masters Tournament and exemptions into The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and 126th US Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills.
He also receives exemptions into The Amateur Championship and the US Amateur Championship.
As runner-up Paz Valdes, a University of Missouri senior, will be exempt into the final stages of qualifying for The Open Championship and US Open Championship.
Both Pulcini and Paz Valdes fired closing rounds of 68 to finish on five-under-par, two clear of Tomas Restrepo of Colombia and Paraguay’s Erich Fortlage.
Overnight leader Segundo Oliva Pinto of Argentina stumbled to a closing 73 and finished fifth.
In the playoff Pulcini secured his win on the second extra hole, the difficult par-4 18th. Paz Valdes went through the green and was unable to get up-and-down. The Argentinian had two putts for the win and he took them.
Coming into the event at 174th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Pulcini is the oldest champion in the 11-year history of the Latin America Amateur and the third from Argentina after 2020 winner Abel Gallegos and 2023 winner Mateo Fernández de Oliveira.
“Unbelievable; having this opportunity to play this tournament and then of course to win it, it's something that I just imagine before coming here,” said Pulcini, who played his final collegiate season at the University of Arkansas. “So, that was my thought every night before sleep and yesterday I was thinking I was 3 up on 18, different than I imagined but the same result.”
The best round of the day came from Brazil’s Herik Machado. He carded a 65 to finish the week at one-under-par.
Founded by The R&A, The Masters and The USGA, the LAAC was inaugurated with a view to developing the game of golf in Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Joaquin Niemann of Chile who won the LAAC in 2018 on home soil in Santiago, is perhaps the best-known graduate.
Others to have played in the event include Nico Echavarria, Sebastian Munoz, Mito Pereira, Alejandro Tosti and Alvaro Ortiz.
