Of the 54 players who made the cut at the Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC), 11 are 18 years old or younger, a testament to the level of junior golf in the region and the impact of the LAAC in its eight years of existence.
Promises Fulfilled for Junior Players at the LAAC
Of the 54 players who made the cut at the Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC), 11 are 18 years old or younger, a testament to the level of junior golf in the region and the impact of the LAAC in its eight years of existence.
“The key has been to stay patient, keep it safe and not be too aggressive,” said 17-year-old Mexican Alejandro Fierro after closing his second round with four birdies down the stretch.
“Last year I learned that these competitions are a marathon. You have to take it a step at a time and not try to win on the first day,” added Fierro, who finished T-17 at Casa de Campo and was one of two junior players among the top 15 on the leaderboard after two rounds.
This year at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Puerto Rico, there were five junior players at the top of the leaderboard going into the weekend: Fierro and 16-year-old Erich Fortlage (T-14) from Paraguay, 18-year-old Chris Richards Jr. (T-14) from Trinidad and Tobago, and 17-year-olds Eduardo Derbez Torres (T-7) from Mexico and Kelvin Hernández (T-7) from Puerto Rico.
“I am very satisfied and very happy after making the cut. My goal again was to make the cut and have fun,” said Fortlage, playing once more on the weekend in his second LAAC. “I hit the ball very well and I played a lot from the fairway.”
With three cuts made in three editions, 18-year-old Chilean Lukas Roessler is the most veteran of the juniors playing on the weekend at Grand Reserve. “Playing the LAAC has opened a lot of doors for me. I was approached by many coaches at U.S. colleges,” said Roessler, a freshman at Florida Gulf Coast University under coach Andrew Danna, who also coached Lukas’ brother Toto Gana, winner of the 2017 LAAC.
Junior Players at the LAAC
Alejandro Fierro of Mexico- Round 1, No. 13
Erich Fortlage of Paraguay - Round 1, No. 13
Lukas remembers attending the 2017 Masters and wearing caddie outfits, along with his twin brother Simon, to accompany their brother Toto at the Par 3 Contest. He credits that experience as an inspiration for his first LAAC. “Playing well the first LAAC really helped me,” he said about his T-9 finish in 2020.
Puerto Rican Hernández, T-7 after two days in his debut, also recognized the importance of the LAAC as a reference and motivation for young players from around the region. “The first couple holes on the first day were nerve-racking, I battled back to 1 under and the second day my putter was pretty hot, and I shot 4 under. I am very excited for the weekend,” said Hernández about his first two rounds.
Hernández is part of a new generation of Latin American juniors inspired by the Latin America Amateur Championship to take on the game and contend in the highest-level international golf events. Richards Jr. and 16-year-old Colombian Juan Velásquez – T-38 after two rounds in Grand Reserve — were part of the 2022 International Junior Presidents Cup Team, Hernández recently finished runner-up in the 2023 Junior Orange Bowl, and Eduardo Derbez Torres is the reigning Western Junior champion.
“Just being here is an experience I will never forget and playing well on the first two days adds to it,” said Derbez Torres about his first LAAC and his 70 and 69 on Thursday and Friday. “This competition exceeds my expectations,” he added, as he focuses on “following his plan and hitting good shots.”
Like many of the juniors in the field committed to U.S. colleges, Derbez, heading to University of Texas, credits the LAAC as the driving force to golf development, academic opportunities and promises fulfilled in the region.
