Mateo Pulcini wins the Amateur Latin America playoffs. His next stop will be the Masters

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Mateo Pulcini made a pair of big par putts in the final hour and finished with a 3-foot par putt on the second playoff hole to win the Latin American Amateur Championship on Sunday, earning the Argentine a spot in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open.

Pulcini, at 25 the oldest winner of the Latin America Amateur since it began in 2015, closed with a 2-under 68 and outpaced Missouri senior Virgilio Paz, who was trying to become the first winner from Venezuela.

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“We dream of playing and winning,” Pulcini said. “I have no words right now. I’m so happy and so grateful for the people around me.”

Paz, who also had a 68 at Lima Golf Club, took the lead with a 25-foot birdie putt on the difficult par-4 17th. Pulcini, who played college golf at Oklahoma Christian and his senior year at Arkansas, remained atop the leaderboard following a 20-foot par putt.

On the 18th hole in regulation, Paz went over the green and slid his chip about 8 feet from the hole, joining Pulcini at 5-under 275 and forcing just the second playoff in tournament history.

And then the great Argentine got his biggest chance on the first playoff hole. Due to a bad position in the right rough, his shot was headed towards the trees and somehow missed all the larger branches, leaving him about 40 yards from the pin. He launched it to 18 feet and made the par putt to send the playoff to another hole.

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“There were a lot of nerves coming in,” Pulcini said. “As always I tried to have fun, to laugh. Being in that position I dreamed of at the beginning of the week, why not take advantage of it and have fun?”

Paz was in the left rough on the 18th, partially blocked by trees, and caught a flyer that went right of the green and settled into a sample of dirt framing a tree. He ducked to stay under his limbs, chipped to about 25 feet and missed the par putt.

“It was a fun fight, a long day,” Paz said. “I’m proud of myself for what I’ve done. I go back to school happy.”

Pulcini is the third Argentine winner. Chile also produced three winners.

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