Three players share the lead at eight-under-par as wild weather forced an early halt to Friday’s action at the Latin America Amateur Championship in Buenos Aires.
Peru’s Patrick Sparks, Argentina’s Segundo Oliva Pinto, and Justin Hastings from the Cayman Islands are locked at the top of the leaderboard at Pilar Golf Club.
Sparks, 23, had a rollercoaster round. He surged to 10-under before dropping shots on 16 and 17 to fall back into the tie for the lead.
“I’m just trying to have fun out there and forget how big this tournament is,” Sparks said. He admitted the cooler temperatures made playing easier than Thursday’s scorching heat.
The timing couldn’t be better for Sparks – Peru was just announced as next year’s host country for this prestigious amateur event.
Justin Hastings was on absolute fire when play was suspended. He’d birdied three straight holes and was seven-under for the day through 18 when the horn blew. You could see the frustration on his face at having to stop.
Last year’s runner-up Omar Morales is making his move. The 21-year-old Mexican star fired a brilliant 67 on Friday, featuring an eagle and five birdies. He’s now just two shots back at six-under.
The stakes here are massive. The winner gets:
* An invitation to the 2025 Masters at Augusta
* A spot in The Open Championship at Royal Portrush
* Entry into the U.S. Open at Oakmont
* Multiple amateur championship exemptions
This tournament has launched some serious careers. Chile’s Joaquin Niemann won it in 2018, and other past players include rising stars Mito Pereira and Sebastian Munoz.
With players still on the course, the cut looks like it’ll fall at two-over-par.
The LAAC, created by golf’s biggest organizations – The R&A, The Masters, and The USGA – has been changing lives in Latin American golf since 2015. For this year’s winner, it could be their ticket to the big time.
