‘23 Latin America Amateur Championship golf tourney to be held in Puerto Rico
The eighth edition of the Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC) golf tournament will be held at the Grand Reserve Golf Club, Jan. 12-15, 2023, marking the first edition of the LAAC to be hosted in Puerto Rico.
Championship organizers made the announcement during the 2022 LAAC currently underway at Casa de Campo’s Teeth of the Dog in La Romana, Dominican Republic.
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 event annually moves to top courses throughout Latin America and showcases the sport’s rising talent in the region. Past competitors include 2018 LAAC champion Joaquín Niemann of Chile and Sebastian Muñoz of Colombia, who have each gone on to earn PGA Tour victories.
The 2023 LAAC champion will receive an invitation to the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club and an exemption into the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool. The winner also receives full exemptions into the Amateur Championship, US Amateur Championship and any other USGA amateur championship for which he is eligible and is exempt into the final stage of qualifying for the 123rd U.S. Open Championship at Los Angeles Country Club. Runner(s)-up will be exempt into the final stages of qualifying for the 151st Open and the 123rd US Open Championship.
“We’re incredibly excited to collaborate with The R&A, the Masters Tournament and the USGA as host of the 2023 Latin America Amateur Championship,” said Rafael Rovira, General Manager of Grand Reserve Golf Club.
“Grand Reserve Golf Club will be a challenging test, and we are eager to showcase our world-class venue to the best amateurs across Latin America,” he said, as it is the first time that the course will host the championship.
The course has hosted the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open annually since 2008 and will host the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball in April, marking the first time a USGA championship has been held outside the mainland United States.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the top Latin American amateurs to Puerto Rico,” said Sidney Wolf, president of the Puerto Rico Golf Association. “The talent in our region continues to grow, and we are excited to inspire the next generation of Puerto Rican golfers through the Latin America Amateur Championship.”
